Australian Bluegrass News

Old Man Luedecke – New Album and Tour Dates

8 Nov, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Old Man Luedecke’s latest release One Night Only! Live at the Chester Playhouse is a recording of one gig played on September 15, 2017, when he appeared solo before his hometown crowd in the seaside village of Chester, Nova Scotia.

The record captures the warmth and intimacy of the show and the transmutation of the ordinary to the magical that Luedecke achieves every night. Through this generous set of songs we get a fantastic view of Luedecke’s storytelling art, his songcraft, and his timing as he engages and thrills an audience with his weirdly wordy ways. It is precisely this combination which makes him such a beloved live performer.

Australian audiences get their opportunity to reacquaint themselves with Old Man Luedecke when he returns for a run of dates throughout Queensland and down into New South Wales, including performances at Mullum Music Festival and Woodford Folk Festival, as well as a run of even more regional dates with Festival Of Small Halls – which also features Australian artist Lucy Wise. Full dates below.

One Night Only! Live at the Chester Playhouse is out now via MGM.

See the viseo below featuring the song Low on the Hog from the album.

Tour Dates – (* With Lucy Wise)

Nov 16 – 18	Mullum Music Festival	Website
Wed Nov 21	Kerry Memorial Hall, Kerry QLD*	Website
Thu Nov 22	Westbrook Hall, Westbrook QLD*	Website
Fri Nov 23	Texas Memorial Hall, Texas QLD*	Website
Sat Nov 24	Corambra Community Hall NSW*	Website
Sun Nov 25	Valla Public Hall, Valla NSW*	Website
Wed Nov 28	Mt Nimmel Hall, Austinville QLD*	Website
Thu Nov 29	Brookstead Hall, Brookstead QLD*	Website
Fri Nov 30	Maryvale Community Hall, Maryvale QLD*	Website
Sat Dec 1	Cooranga North Memorial Hall, Cooranga Nth QLD*	Website
Sun Dec 2	Mothar Mountain Hall, Mothar Mountain QLD*	Website
Wed Dec 5	Koah Hall, Koah QLD*	Website
Thu Dec 6	Forrest Beach Senior Citizens Centre, Forrest Beach QLD*	Website
Fri Dec 7	Middlemount Community Hall, Middlemount QLD*	Website
Sat Dec 8	Queen Street Hall, Yeppoon QLD*	Website
Sun Dec 9	Bucca Hall, Bucca QLD*	Website
Wed Dec 12	Rainbow Beach Community Hall, Rainbow Beach QLD*	Website
Thu Dec 13	Thornville Hall, Thornville QLD*	Website
Fri Dec 14	Springbrook Community Hall, Springbrook QLD*	Website
Sat Dec 15	Mt Nebo Community Hall, Mt Nebo QLD*	Website
Sun Dec 16	Eudlo Hall, Eudlo QLD*	Website
Dec 18 – Dec 19	Woodford Folk Festival	Website

Applications Open for 2019 Great Alpine Pick

8 Nov, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Performer applications are now open for the 2019 Great Alpine Pick.

While the Great Alpine Pick used to be held at Harrietville each year the event is now scheduled for The Old Priory at Beechworth from March 15th to 17th next year. The Great Alpine Pick offers Bluegrass and Old Timey Music artists and enthusiasts an opportunity to gather and enjoy a series of concerts and workshops and doubtless many jam sessions.

Wannabe performers just send an email with your band details and expectations to the email address: mountainpickersassociation@hotmail.com.

The Blue Ridge Broadcasters to Play Southern Style

3 Nov, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The Blue Ridge Broadcasters will be playing live to air on Southern Style on November 13th.

Comprised of some of the most inspiring, innovative, and engaging young musicians on the old-time scene, the Blue Ridge Broadcasters perform a mix of driving fiddle tunes and traditional songs.

The members of the band have been working together for over a decade, teaching, recording, performing, and competing. They have appeared together at The Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia, winning multiple first place prizes in the traditional band and fiddle contests.

Building on their deep reverence for Appalachian old-time music to create compellingly new sounds. They can crank out blistering fiddle tunes made to move dancers or draw out the mystery from a crooked, haunting melody. They can tease out the funkiness from a country blues. They can blend their voices into sweet harmonies, breathing new life into old songs.

Williamson Branch Takes 1.2 million Hits

19 Oct, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Williamson Branch has struck a chord among music lovers with their new cover of the iconic hymn, I’ll Fly Away.

In less than three days, the video has been viewed over 1.2 million times. In addition to surpassing the impressive milestone, the video has also been shared nearly 15,000 times on social media. The video was premiered by top powerhouse publication Country Rebel, who also shared it on other digital platforms inside their network.

We are thrilled with the incredible reaction to our video for I’ll Fly Away, We all love the song and have sung it since we were toddlers. The overwhelming public response to it is just the latest in an exciting stream of events for us this year – Melody Williamson.

The cover of the song features all three sisters from Williamson Branch (Melody, Kadence and Caroline) performing a stripped down version of I’ll Fly Away in front of a scenic church. Fans were captivated by the impeccable harmonies, plus the twist at the end when the singers broke into “This Little Light of Mine.” The track has been a favourite from the group, whose sound incorporates their unique style of Bluegrass, combined with other American music blends, including Gospel influences.

Williamson Branch have already had an impactful 2018, releasing their latest album Free, earlier this summer. The feel-good project includes 12 all-new recordings, with each member of the band taking their songwriting to a whole new level, self-penning the majority of the project. Fans can buy a copy of Free, find all upcoming shows and more at williamsonbranch.com.

Kiwigrass Update

17 Oct, 18 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

A couple of months ago we brought news of the Kiwigrass Festival in Hamilton New Zealand. The list on performers continues to grow for the inaugural Kiwigrass Festival. Decades in the dreaming, the Kiwigrass Festival will mark a turning point in the history of bluegrass music in New Zealand.

Kiwigrass preparations continue with the event scheduled for 1st to the 3rd February 2019, at Narrows Park in Hamilton New Zealand.

You can boost your skills and become real part of the New Zealand bluegrass community by attending the in-depth Kiwigrass Academy beforehand. It’s an opportunity not to be missed.

Tickets are now available from this website, with a full weekend ticket only NZ$75.00.

Here is a list of performers to date:

Bluegrass Parkway
Rhode Works
Crooked Road
Pipi Pickers
Hamilton County Bluegrass Band

Wires and Wood
Hot Diggity
Lonely Heart String Band
Nine Mile Creek

Kiwigrass is brought to you with the support of the Australasian Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association.

Mustered Courage on Tour

30 Sep, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Mustered Courage is heading out on tour next month to promote the release of a new album We Played With Fire.

Here is their itinerary for the next few months:

THU 11 OCT Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall Brisbane, QLD, Australia – Free Entry
FRI 12 OCT The Bison Bar Nambour, QLD, Australia – Tickets
SAT 13 OCT Dusty Hill Vineyard Murgon, QLD, Australia SOLD OUT
FRI 19 OCT Wesley Anne Northcote, VIC, Australia – Tickets
THU 25 OCT – The Newsagency Annandale, NSW, Australia – Tickets
FRI 26 OCT Smith’s Alternative Canberra, ACT, Australia – Tickets
WED 7 NOV Creatures Next Door Fremantle, WA, Australia – Tickets
THU 8 NOV Settlers Tavern Margaret River, WA, Australia – Free Entry
FRI 9 to SUN 11 NOV Blues at Bridgetown Festival Bridgetown, WA, Australia – Tickets
WED 23 JAN Tamworth Hotel Tamworth, NSW, Australia – Free Entry
THU 24 JAN Tamworth , NSW, Australia – Free Entry
FRI 25 JAN Capitol Theatre Tamworth, NSW, Australia – Tickets
FRI 25 JAN Tamworth Hotel Tamworth, NSW, Australia – Free Entry

Crooked Road off to Kiwigrass

8 Sep, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Another Aussie band are off to New Zealand for the first Kiwigrass Festival in February next year.

Crooked Road are the latest Aussie offering for the festival with their songs about “trains, whisky, death, relativity, love, despair, roadkill, rain and lost car keys… ” to quote one of the band members.

With various bands the members of Crooked Road have made 13 albums, many TV and radio shows and several national and international tours. Bluegrass, folk, country, gospel-their influences all come out in harmony-driven originals and a few pieces by their favourite musicians.
Formerly with Old South Bluegrass, Crooked Road are Phill Parker on guitar Andrew Hook on mandolin, Leonard Cohen on Dobro and David Taylor bass.

Phill sings in the folk, country and bluegrass traditions, playing with The Bill Chambers Band, Country Comfort, Shut Up and Deal, Highly Strung and The Bridgland Brothers. His song To Keep You Near won the 2018 SCALA lyrics award out of 200 entries world-wide.

Andrew immersed himself in the bluegrass genre playing professionally with The Rank Strangers, Paul Wookey, The Buckshot Boogie Band, Dingo Ridge and Grass Roots.

Leonard fell into folk and bluegrass and played professionally with the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band and then with The Skillet Lickers.

Dave grew up on a diet of Beatles, Stones, Pacemakers, 60s pop, Daddy Cool, Chain, and Axiom. He played in community choirs, ukulele group Savoir Plunk, and now plays country/folk, bluegrass and retro pop.

Bluegrass Parkway to Play Kiwigrass

1 Sep, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Bluegrass Parkway will be appearing at Kiwigrass in February. Now in their 30th year, Bluegrass Parkway are the longest continuously performing bluegrass band in Australia. They have played at dozens of folk and country music festivals throughout Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The band has been past favourites on the Australian-based Bluegrass Cruise.

Bluegrass Parkway band members place a great deal of importance on presenting Bluegrass music authentically; performing around a single on-stage microphone. Indeed this was the norm for the pioneers of the genre during the 1940s.

Band members are frequent presenters of harmony workshops, as their skill in this area is beyond compare, and each band member is a skilled harmony singer and teacher. The Band features Paul Duff on mandolin, Maria Duff on bass, Wayne Perry on guitar, Mick O’Neill on banjo and Donal Baylor on fiddle.

Kiwigrass – February 2019

31 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

New Zealand’s Pipi Pickers are currently engaged in bringing New Zealand a full-scale all-bluegrass festival in February next year. It’s been almost 50 years since the last Banjo Pickers Convention in Hamilton. Kiwigrass is scheduled for 1st to 3rd February 2019 in Hamilton, New Zealand and aims to celebrate all of Bluegrass Music has to offer.

To stay in touch and learn more, check out www.kiwigrass.nz. Join the mailing list there, and follow them on Facebook. We are told that the line-up is looking outstanding with the headline act already secured with The Lonely Heartstring Band.

The Lonely Heartstring Band wowed New Zealand audiences last year when they headlined at the Auckland Folk Festival and then toured around the country, with sell-out show after sell-out show. Their unparalleled stage presence and skill left audiences speechless and hungry for more. The boys from Boston have been hard at work on a new album, adding to their already stellar repertoire. In addition to concerts, these Berklee School of Music trained musicians will be leading workshops in their instruments.

Kiwigrass is brought to you with the support of the Australasian Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association.

Hamilton County Bluegrass Band

30 Aug, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Digging through some emails today I found this bit of history, sent to me by Ron McConnell from the USA. He is a Hamilton County Bluegrass Band fan, as are many of us.

The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band were a group of musicians from the Auckland, New Zealand and Hamilton area who formed a group to play mainly folk and bluegrass music. It all started for them when Alan Rhodes and Paul Trenwith, from Hamilton, started trying to emulate the sounds of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs of the Blue Grass Boys from Kentucky. Dave Calder, also from Hamilton, but attending Auckland University at the time, heard them playing and he joined the pair, playing mandolin. They played together as the Muleskinners at the Massey University Arts Festival in 1966.

Colleen Bain, a classical violinist and student at Hamilton Teachers College, met members of the group in 1967, and soon after was able to produce the bluegrass fiddle sound.

Len Cohen and Sandy McMillin were added to complete the original line-up of the group, although they still had not agreed on a name for the band. Later that year they became known as The Hamilton County BLuegrass Band or HCBB.

Tex Morton persuaded them to move to Australia, in 1971 and they became very well know through their extensive touring with Slim Dusty.

The tune that many consider to be the signature tune of the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band, is “Orange Blossom Special”. This tune was recorded in Sydney in 1975 and the line-up had changed somewhat by then. Colleen, Paul and Graham were still there, but new to the band by then was Anne Kirkpatrick on bass and Colin Watson on guitar.

The band basically folded at the end of 1975 when Paul and Colleen left. A final album was released by Axis in 1978 called “Orange Blossom Special”.

The band featured:

Alan Rhodes (guitar, banjo, mandolin and vocals)
Paul Trenwith (banjo and vocals)
Dave Calder (mandolin, guitar and vocals)
Colleen Trenwith (fiddle and vocals)
Len Cohen (guitar and vocals)
Sandy McMillin (bass)