Australian Bluegrass News

Australian Banjo Conference Meet the Faculty #1

14 Nov, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The 2019 Bluegrass Conference is just weeks away. This year’s conference has a wealth of teaching talent and musical dexterity. We will spend the next few days introducing you to this years faculty, with some background on their careers.

Jens Kruger banjo, song writer, composer:

We gladly welcome back to Australia the amazing Jens Kruger from North Carolina USA. Originally from Switzerland, Jens Kruger began playing North American folk music at an early age and was particularly inspired by recordings of Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and other originators of country, bluegrass and folk music.
Jens is a member of the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, having been inducted in 2011. In 2013, he was awarded the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Music. Jens is the first winner of the award who resides in North Carolina and the first born outside of the United States.

(Jens Kruger is) one of the world’s most musically sophisticated and technically accomplished five‐string banjo players – Happy Traum.

Josh Goforth, fiddle, mandolin and guitar:

Josh resides in Asheville, North Carolina. He has been a member and road manager of Carolina Road for fifteen years. Josh attended East Tennessee State University where he majored in Instrumental Music Education. He is very active in the world renowned bluegrass and country music program at ETSU and also mentors upcoming fiddle players through residencies with universities including Colorado College, University of Georgia and University of Kentucky.

Josh teaches with the City of Asheville, North Carolina and has performed with Appalachian Trail, David Holt & Laura Boosinger, Open Road and The ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band. He has also performed in 13 foreign countries and throughout the United States. In 2000, 2003 and 2005 he was named the Fiddler of the Festival as the nationally acclaimed Fiddler’s Grove Competition, and awarded the title of Master Fiddler after winning the coveted position three times.

Josh has been a finalist for SPBGMA Fiddle Player of the Year. In 2009, he was nominated for a Grammy for the album Cutting Loose which he produced and recorded on with David Holt. Josh also showed off his acting chops in the 2000 film Song Catcher where he was given a small role, was the vocal coach on set, and performed on the film’s soundtrack. Josh is a successful producer and coproduced Carolina Road’s latest cd. Josh enjoys teaching folklore and sharing his talents with others. Josh is proud to endorse Henderson Guitars, Kogut Violins, D’addario Strings, and Baggs Pickups.

Jenny Lester, fiddle, guitar, singer songwriter:

Jenny Lester is no stranger to Australia. Her gorgeous voice and fiddle playing graced our shores when she toured with Hungry Hill in 2009. Jenny is a dynamic Canadian bluegrass performer and recording artist who has established herself as an important singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Her original songs are carefully crafted in the bluegrass convention while at the same time displaying a contemporary freshness and vitality that breathes new life into the fabled “high lonesome” sound.
Jenny is a veteran stage performer, beginning on the fiddle at age eight with her family’s Driftwood Canyon Family Band out of Smithers, B.C. After nearly a decade of touring West Coast festivals, Jenny won a musical scholarship to South Plains College in Texas, graduating with honors and three Golden Reel awards. The journey moved in the 1990s through Dark Horse based in Colorado, the Australian trio performing at Leo Foo Village in Taiwan, John Reischman and Bluegrass Signal in Vancouver, BC, and the Jenny Lester Trio. Music videos, telethons and documentaries were recorded in the 1980’s of the family band. As Jenny’s career continued she appears in Discovery, Disney and PBS movies. In 1998 Jenny released the internationally acclaimed debut album Friends Like You. The turn of the millennium brought together two new cds with the world touring, Yukon-based band, Hungry Hill. Her love of music has been paralleled by her love of horses and Jenny devotes her life to both.

Running over 4 days in December, from Thursday 12th to Sunday 15th and held at the Tranquil Park Resort in Maleny, this conference feature some 14 instructors in total.

Best Blog Award to AustralianBluegrass.com

11 Nov, 19 by Greg McGrath 1 Comment

Australian Bluegrass.com has been awarded another “Best Blog” accolade from Expertido.

Expertido has been soaring in the ranks of recommendation sites as of late, as a result of their easily comparable data on consumer reviews and product traits, but they also offer another point of data: what the best blogs and websites have suggested to consumers.

Expertido has a growing team of 70 experts who routinely research products in order to help readers and users select the most current and best model to satisfy perfectly. When looking for the best Musical Forms items of 2019, readers will be glad to hear that the Expertido team have analysed over 40 sites to find only 8 that meet our very high standards for recommendations. They have inspected quite a few different factors, but the most crucial areas were:

Consumer information protection
Intuitive interface
Effortless to use and read, no errors
Advertising campaigns
Social media presentation
Along with more factors.

Expertido’s advises us that their editorial team has taken the time to examine the sites recommended below, and all have earned the exclusive seal of approval and been awarded use of the Best Blog Logo.

The Best Eight Bluegrass Music Blogs for 2019:

AustralianBluegrass.com
Blog.ebma.org
Blogs.fretmentor.com

LonesomeRoadReview.com
PrescriptionBluegrassblog.com
BluegrassToday.com

GrassClippingsBlog.com
BrandedBluegrass.com

The South Carolina Broadcasters 2019 Tour

24 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

US Old-Time trio, The South Carolina Broadcasters, have just begun their first Australian tour, and are currently working as tutors at the Dorrigo Old-Time Music School, ahead of their first performance at the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival this weekend.

The South Carolina Broadcasters are the “real deal” when it comes to Old-Time Bluegrass music, with their razor sharp harmonies, exceptional multi-instrumentation, and fabulous song selection. Wherever they perform, audiences connect with the Broadcasters through their heartfelt songs and good old-fashioned entertainment. Their material ranges from the Old-Time mountain music of Appalachia, through Carter Family country classics, and Cajun music, to original tunes that sound like they’ve come from the past.

The trio consists of David Sheppard (guitar & vocals), Ivy Sheppard (banjo, fiddle, & vocals) and new band member, Jackson Cunningham from The Whitetop Mountaineers (mandolin, guitar, & vocals).

I’d like to think that if AP Carter had had more time to think about it and work things out, the Carter Family would have been singing like the Broadcasters.” – Tim O’Brien.

While this is the first Australian tour for the band, Jackson Cunningham has been a regular visitor downunder, touring here with The Whitetop Mountaineers playing major festivals and a host of gigs across the country.

Tour Dates:

October:

Wed 23-Fri 25: Dorrigo Old-Time Music School NSW
Fri 25–Sun 27: Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival NSW
Tue 29: Upper Lansdowne Hall, NSW
Wed 30: Petersham Bowling Club, NSW
Thu 31: Smiths Alternative, Canberra ACT.

November

Fri 1- Mon 4: Maldon Folk Festival VIC
Tue 5: House concert, Ballarat VIC
Wed 6: House concert, Lancefield VIC
Thu 7: Merri Creek Tavern, Northcote VIC
Fri 8 – Sun 10: MountainGrass Festival, Beechworth VIC.
Tue 12: Mountain Pickers Association, Upwey RSL VIC
Wed 13: Yinnar Hotel VIC
Thu 14: Valencia Creek Memorial Hall VIC
Fri 15: Southern Valley Folk Club, Nethercote Hall NSW
Sat 16: Railway Institute Hall, Thirroul NSW
Wed 20: Yuin Folk Club, School of Arts Hall, Cobargo NSW.
Thu 21: Anglican Church, Moruya NSW
Fri 22: Hotel Blue, Katoomba NSW
Sat 23: The Quarterdeck, Narooma NSW

Midnight Skyracer and Sth Carolina Broadcasters on Southern Style.

24 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Southern Style, hosted by IBMA Award nominee Jan Dale will feature a double header next month (12th November) featuring Midnight Skyracer from the UK and The South Carolina Broadcasters from the USA.

Midnight Skyracer is a five piece, all-female Bluegrass band from England and Ireland just launched in the spring of 2017, and have found that immediate demand for live performances and a studio recording are intense. These talented young women, two of whom are siblings, got together after meeting at folk and bluegrass venues in the UK. After posting a number of videos on YouTube of their aggressive sound, requests started coming in from close to home, and from bluegrass lovers in the US and Europe as well.

Midnight Skyracer is Leanne Thorose is on mandolin, Tabitha Agnew on banjo, Laura Carrivick on fiddle, Charlotte Carrivick on guitar, and Eleanor Wilkie on bass. The band was nominated in the 2018 IBMA Momentum Awards for Best Band, and Tabitha Agnew on banjo in the instrumental section.

The trio consists of David Sheppard (guitar & vocals), Ivy Sheppard (banjo, fiddle, & vocals) and new band member, Jackson Cunningham from The Whitetop Mountaineers (mandolin, guitar, & vocals).

This is the Broadcasters’ first Australian tour, playing the Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, the Maldon Folk Festival and MountainGrass Festival, and a number of other gigs in NSW, Victoria, and the ACT. However, Jackson has toured here a number of times with The Whitetop Mountaineers, playing all the major folk festivals including the National Folk Festival, Canberra, Port Fairy Folk Festival, and the Blue Mountains Music Festival, and numerous successful gigs around the country.

Jan Dale’s radio show, Southern Style, can also be streamed to your computer via the PBS website.
Recordings are archived for six months.

Southern Style with Jan Dale – PBS FM 106.7
Tuesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm or online at www.pbsfm.org.au.

Clawhammer Banjo Tips.

20 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Here is a great article from Josh Turknett over at ClawhammerBanjo.net. For those interested, Josh delivers a complete set of instructions for learning Clawhammer banjo along with a full set of demo tunes and songs on his impressive website:

In a typical Blues song, the words tell of the singer’s trials and tribulations, of run-ins with the law, of bein’ hungry, broke, cold, hot, hobbled, betrayed, forlorn, and altogether put upon.

But somehow, in spite of it all, we sing. And, despite our words of woe, the singing feels real good.

The music even makes it seems like maybe it’s all worth the struggle.

That’s how it is with this early Blues song, at least.

Goin’ Down That Road Feelin’ Bad was first recorded by Henry Whitter in 1924 under the title Lonesome Road Blues (another title it’s often referred to today). Since then, it’s been recorded by scores more under a whole host of other names.

You’ll note in this arrangement the use of a “bended” note, played on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string to bring it towards the flatted 3rd note of the G scale (you’ll also find one in the “up the neck” solo). It’s indicated by the curved line with the “1/2” next to it, indicating that we’re raising the string a half step in pitch with the bend.

You don’t hear bended notes too often in clawhammer, but there’s no reason we shouldn’t play em. Musically, they allow us to access notes not typically available on a fixed scale fretted instrument, providing a sound evocative of the slides on a fretless banjo.

Click here for the original page.

Missy Raines Trio on Southern Style.

15 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Jan Dale has recently returned from the USA and the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass festivities, where no doubt she has amassed many interviews with bluegrass personalities. More recently though, she has arranged for The Missy Raines Trio to play live to air on Southern Style on Tuesday 22nd October.

As we have previously posted, Missy won Bass Player of Year this year for 8th time and is on an Australian toru with her band, The Missy Raines Trio.

Jan Dale’s radio show, Southern Style, can also be streamed to your computer via the PBS website.

Southern Style with Jan Dale – PBS FM 106.7
Tuesdays 1:00pm to 3:00pm or online at www.pbsfm.org.au.

2019 Australian Bluegrass Conference

3 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The 2019 Australian Bluegrass Conference is almost upon us, and I thought it would be a good time to catch up with principal organiser Peter Nahuysen to not just congratulate him on such a fantastic line up for 2019, but to dig around and learn some more on the coming event.

If you are interested in attending this year’s premier bluegrass event, or just want some more information with no obligations just fill in your details on the contact form below and send it to me for follow up – Peter Nahuysen.

Greg: So Peter, In December this year many of us will be enjoying the Australian Bluegrass Conference which is now in its 12th year. That is exciting.

Peter: Yes, that’s correct our first one was in 2008. Back then and for the first 4 years it was called the Australian Banjo Camp, however we were very keen to transition to what it is today a fully fledged live-in conference catering instruction for all the bluegrass instruments. So guitar, mandolin, fiddle and double bass, as well as banjo.

Greg:
You have a unique formula for the conference don’t you? It seems to be a relatively small number of places and very substantial faculty, at a superb venue I might add.

Peter: We really want the 4 days to be all about the music. So it’s the tuition, the jamming, the networking and then friendships we want to focus on. To this end, we all stay on site at Tranquil Park Resort in magnificent surroundings. All the food is catered for, it’s fully licensed; there is no having to camp out, or to drive anywhere, or walk long distances to workshops like at a festival. With just 65 places and a faculty of 14, the opportunities to meet and play with some of the finest musicians from Australia and the USA are unparalleled.

Greg: That is a huge faculty! Let’s hear about some of your overseas guests?

Peter: Yes it’s the biggest faculty yet and I am thrilled to have some absolutely world-class players coming again this year.

Jens Kruger will be here for the 4th time and really needs no introduction. He is simply one of the most sublime and gifted musicians you would ever hope to meet. He plays banjo of course but is an equally skilled guitarist. His experience and teaching is unequalled and we are so very privileged to have Jens coming out again.
Josh Goforth is a fiddle player from North Carolina and I had heard about him from Jens. We got to meet him at the Kruger Brothers Academy this year and he is one of the finest fiddle players in the USA. He plays all kinds of musical styles and I have to say his playing is jaw-dropping. Not only that, he plays mandolin, guitar and banjo equally well. He is a fantastic and inspirational teacher and a wonderful person.
Bennett Sullivan is an amazing young banjo player and teacher and I got to meet him in Asheville in May. He is an IBMA award winner, taking out the Momentum Award for Industry Involvement only last month at the IBMA. He has a great YouTube channel and I highly recommend banjo players don’t miss the opportunity to meet and hear Bennett at the conference.
Jenny Lester came out to our conference with the Canadian band Hungry Hill in 2009 and made a huge impact at the camp. She is a beautiful singer, song-writer, fiddle and guitar player, and teaches brilliant harmony workshops. I have been wanting to get Jenny back for years and this is the first time we have been able to do so. Jenny is such a warm and delightful person too and she is so excited to be coming back again this year.
The Sonoran Dogs for those who perhaps don’t know are a band out of Arizona and have been to the camp 4 times in the past. I describe them as “crowd favourites” and that is a perfect description as they are such a great band and so much fun to have around. It includes Mark Miracle on mandolin and vocals, Peter McLaughlin on guitar and vocals, Tyler James on banjo and Aussie legend Bruce Packard on bass. It will be so good to have Jenny and Josh here getting up with them to add fiddle and vocals to the Doggies sound.

So that’s our international line up, but I also have an exercise physiologist from the USA coming this year who specialises in helping musicians avoid repetitive stress injuries and other hazards of playing an instrument. This is a new feature for 2019.

Greg: That’s a fantastic line up alright, no doubt and a load of great Aussie talent as well, including Taylor Pfeiffer I see? I remember when she used to come to camp as a youngster with banjo and a notebook in tow. She has really blossomed as a musician and a young lady hasn’t she?

Peter: Yes, that’s for sure. Taylor is teaching banjo now in Adelaide, as well as all her performing and recording work. It’s a thrill to have Taylor coming back on the faculty. Then also new this year we have John O’Donnell who is an excellent banjo player and teacher. Plus my brother and guitarist Mark is on the faculty, also Anita Nahuysen running claw hammer classes. And I plan to do some sessions on Celtic tunes for banjo as well.

Greg: So there are a number of banjo instructors coming, is that because you tend to get a lot of banjo players? What about other instruments?

Peter: Yes that’s right, there are always a good number of banjo pickers, but lots of them double up on guitar or mandolin or even bass. But I want to emphasise it’s all instruments included and catered for. So I really encourage guitarists, fiddle players, mandolinists and bass players to consider coming along.

Greg: And do you cater for all skill levels?

Peter: Absolutely! Beginner, intermediate, advanced there is lots for everyone. And I want to encourage any beginners, don’t think it’s only for highly skilled players. Not at all. We run great beginner classes, slow jams and lots of opportunities to absorb techniques and inspiration that will set you up for your musical journey.

Greg: So the details again…

Peter: Thursday to Sunday, December 12th – 15th at Tranquil Park Resort, Maleny which is an hour north of Brisbane.

The cost is $890 for the 4 days which includes everything. I can help arrange free transport from the airport for anyone flying in on the Thursday morning. All bookings are processed through me. Just fill in the contact form below to signal your interest, or to register or to simply ask a question or two on the Conference.

Greg: Thanks Peter, Well done on attracting such a experienced array of artists for the conference faculty. It sounds like it will be another fantastic conference for 2019.

Peter: Thank you Greg, and I can’t wait.

Click here to read more on this year’s conference and past conferences.

Complete the contact form below to learn more, to register or to simply ask a question.

IBMA Award Winner Missy Raines Heads to Australia

3 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Missy Raines Headed to Australia on Heels of Historic Bluegrass Award Wins

Bluegrass bass royalty Missy Raines is headed to Australia and New Zealand this October for an extensive tour. Missy Raines has just returned from this year’s International Bluegrass Music Awards making history. This year, she has won the Bluegrass Bass Player of the Year Award for the eighth time, an award which she has claimed more than anyone else in bluegrass history. Raines’ recording of Darlin’ Pal(s) of Mine from her new album Royal Traveller, was also named the 2019 Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year.

Let’s review some of the accolades of late regarding Missy’s work:

Released in October of 2018 on Compass Records, Royal Traveller was called “Unerringly affecting and exquisitely executed” by Bluegrass Today. The first single from Raines’ album, Swept Away, released in early 2018, was awarded the 2018 IBMA Recorded Event of the Year, and featured a new collaboration of the five women who were first to win the IBMA instrumental awards in their categories. The group consists of Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle, Alison Brown, Becky Buller and Raines, and the group is now known as “The First Ladies of Bluegrass”.

The bluegrass community has always been my family, and I’m so grateful for their continued support of my music. I’m also thrilled to be heading to Australia and New Zealand for the first time with this new album – Missy Raines.

Missy’s upcoming tour includes stops at the Patchewollock Bluegrass Festival and the Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival as well as club shows at the Petersham Bowling Club in Sydney, the Spotted Mallard in Melbourne and Cafe One2one in Auckland among a slew of tour dates.

The Missy Raines Trio, with whom she will be touring the Southern Hemisphere features guitarist Ben Garnett and fiddle player George Jackson. Jackson is a native of New Zealand and will be recognized throughout Australia as a former member of international trio One Up, Two Down, and Australian bluegrass outfit, The Company. Garnett is originally from Texas, and has been gathering acclaim for his versatile guitar skills and was chosen to be a part of the exclusive Savannah Music Festival in 2017.

Tour Dates

Australia:
OCT 17 Thu – Petersham Bowling Club Petersham.
OCT 18 Fri – Missy Raines Trio at Hotel Blue “Live at the Attic” Katoomba.
OCT 19 Sat – Missy Raines Trio at Patchewollock Bluegrass Festival, Patchewollock.
OCT 21 Mon – The Spotted Mallard Brunswick.
OCT 22 Tus – Miss Raines Trio at Mountain Pickers Club, Fern Tree Gully.
OCT 23 Wed – Missy Raines Trio at Yinnar Pub, Yinnar.
OCT 24 Thu – Missy Raines Trio at Smith’s Alternative, Canberra.
OCT 25 Fri – Missy Raines Trio at Dorrigo Bluegrass Festival, Dorrigo
OCT 26 Sat – Missy Raines Trio at Dorrigo Bluegrass Festival, Dorrigo.
OCT 27 Sun – Missy Raines Trio at Dorrigo Bluegrass Festival, Dorrigo
OCT 28 Mon – The Junk Bar, Ashgrove

New Zealand:
OCT 30 Wed – Missy Raines Trio at Whangateau Hall, Whangateau.
OCT 31 Thu – Missy Raines Trio at Hauraki House Theatre, Coromandel.
NOV 1 Fri – Missy Raines Trio at Katikati Folk Club – The Arts Junction, Katikati.
NOV 2 Sat – Missy Raines Trio at Wellington Bluegrass Society, Lower Hutt.
NOV 3 Sun – Missy Raines Trio at Whanganui Musicians Club, Whanganui.
NOV 4 Mon – Missy Raines Trio at The Globe Theatre, Palmerston North.
NOV 5 Tue – Missy Raines Trio at The Jam Factory at The Incubator, Tauranga,
NOV 6 Wed – Missy Raines Trio at Cafe One2One, Auckland.

See the website for international dates and tickets.

Midnight Skyracer to Headline MountainGrass

23 Sep, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The folks at MountainGrass headquarters have advised us that the UK band Midnight Skyracer will headline 2019 MountainGrass.

Midnight Skyracer are an all female 5-piece bluegrass band from the UK formed in 2017. Demand for their music grew after releasing several clips of their performances on YouTube.

The band released their debut album in 2018 and shortly after became the first UK band to be nominated for an IBMA Momentum Award.

Midnight Skyracer consists of Leanne Thorose on mandolin, Tabitha Agnew on banjo, Eleanor Wilkie on bass, Laura Carrivick on fiddle and Charlotte Carrivick on guitar. Each of the women sing, with Leanne and Tabitha taking on much of the responsibility for lead vocals.

Here’s a clip of the band playing Fuel To My Fire from their debut album.

Here is a clip of the band performing Ernest Tubb’s Thanks A Lot.

Judith Crossley Memorial Songwriting Award

27 Aug, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Judith Crossley Memorial Songwriting Competition is now open to songwriters.

Judith Vivienne Crossley was born in the UK in 1934 and immigrated to Australia and arrived in Adelaide when she was in her twenties.

Crossley was a keen singer and songwriter and soon became a familiar face at local folk clubs and regional festivals. She enthusiastically supported songwriting competitions held in conjunction with those festivals and was passionate in her support of her adopted home.

Judith loved to encourage fledgeling songwriters, in particular, those writing about the history, places and people of her adopted state of South Australia. Over her long life, she strongly supported SCALA (Songwriters, Composers and Lyricists Association) and the South Australian Folk Federation.

Judith died in 2014 and in her will she left a legacy to establish a songwriting competition for South Australia. This is now known as the Judith Crossley Memorial Songwriting Award and it is now in its fifth year. The competition has produced some well-crafted songs, with topics as diverse as murder in a country town, a lighthouse keeper’s life on a small island or a tribute to the bravery of a local resident.

The songs submitted should all be original compositions, and be suitable for acoustic performance. The entry must relate to South Australian places, people or events. Entry is free and an award of $500 is made to the entry deemed to be the best from a selection of 10 finalists by an independent panel of 3 judges.

The judging for the competition takes place as part of the Fleurieu Folk Festival each October. Judges select ten entries which are performed in a concert by their writers. In previous years, the award has been used by several of the winners to produce a CD of their original works.

Entries for the competition are now open and will close on 30th September 2019.

See the website for specific details and conditions of entry.