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2020 Kiwigrass Update

19 Nov, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Kiwigrass is New Zealand’s own national festival of Bluegrass Music. It is produced by the Kiwigrass Trust, a non-profit association of bluegrass musicians and supporters in New Zealand, with help and guidance from the Australasian Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association of Australia (ABOTMA). The festival aims to present performances of bluegrass music, related workshops, and opportunities for attendees to share with each other through jamming and picking sessions. The event is entirely run and resourced by volunteers.

In 2020, Kiwigrass will be held at Lake Karāpiro, at the Mighty River Domain in Cambridge, Waikato, from 31 January – 2 February, 2020.

Cambridge is close to Hamilton, an easy 2 hour drive from Auckland airport, and a 6 hour drive from Wellington. Kiwigrass encourages bluegrass musicians from all regions of New Zealand to apply to perform.

Here are the 2020 Kiwigrass artists:

Lonely Heartstring Band (US)
AJ Lee and Blue Summit (US)
Bluegrass Parkway (AU)
Coolgrass (AU)
Nine Mile Creek (AU)
Jean-Luc Leroux & Friends (New Caledonia)
Bluegrass & Beyond (NZ)
The Down Underdogs (NZ)
The Hamilton County Bluegrass Band (NZ)

Hot Diggity (NZ)
Kaimai Express (NZ)
Melling Station Boys (NZ)
The Pipi Pickers (NZ)
Rhode Works (NZ)
Valley Bluegrass (NZ)
Wires and Wood (NZ)
You, Me, Everybody (NZ)

Kiwigrass Academy.

The festival is also hosting an Academy prograkm this year. This is a unique opportunity to take in the knowledge and experience of top international players.

The Kiwigrass Academy is modelled on examples like the RockyGrass Academy, which have proved so successful at the most popular festivals in the United States. For the first time, you can benefit from this level of instruction at a New Zealand festival without shelling out thousands of dollars for airfares.

You don’t have to be an advanced player, everyone will be alongside participants of similar experience. However, you will need to have a basic familiarity with your instrument to join the novice stream which will be separate from the other players.

Getting to meet, jam, and perform with other like-minded musicians over two full days will be one of the biggest rewards when you participate in the Kiwigrass Academy.

Academy Instructors for 2020 Festival are:

Guitar: George Clements, Sully Tuttle, Jesse Fichman
Banjo (3 finger Bluegrass): Gabe Hirshfeld, Paul Trenwith
Mandolin: Maddie Witler, AJ Lee, Paul Duff
Fiddle: Patrick M’gonigle, Jan Purat, Maria Duff
Bass: Charles Clements

Australian Banjo Conference Meet the Faculty #2

19 Nov, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Here is post number two on the 2019 Bluegrass Conference faculty. The conference is the only chance bluegrass musicians in Australia would have to work, learn and play in an environment filled with quality teaching, musicianship and inspiration.

Bennett Sullivan banjo, composer, teacher, session musician and performer:

Bennett Sullivan is a young banjo player and professional educator from New York. He is described as a critically acclaimed composer, teacher, session musician and performer He has just won the IBMA’s 2019 Momentum Award, an award that recognises artists and business people in the early years of their bluegrass music careers.

Bennett main gig is performing in New York however, he is a successful banjo teacher, helping banjo pickers improve their skills. He offers lessons in person and via Skype. His uniqueness, versatility, and prowess on different stringed instruments makes him one of the most sought after musicians in the country music industry and beyond.

Mark Miracle mandolin, singer and teacher:

Mark has been playing music all his life in the southwest US region, having played festivals in Arizona, California and Colorado. Mark has won numerous mandolin contests and his band, Shady Creek, won the SW Regional Division of the Pizza Hut Showdown (now IBMA) Battle of the Bands in the late ’90’s. Mark is also the founding member of Clear Blue, which won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest in 2000 and opened the festival in 2001. He also spent 5 years in Ohio, playing in 3 bands and extensively touring the area. His return to Arizona brought him to become a founding member of Sawmill Road, touring thoughout the US, Canada and Europe. Mark has been a regular visitor to Australian festivals and previous Bluegrass Conferences. He played and toured initially with the band X-Train and now performs and tours with the highly successful Arizona based band Sonoran Dogs.

Peter McLaughlin guitar, singer songwriter:

Peter McLaughlin is an acclaimed acoustic guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, performer, recording artist and music instructor from Tucson, Arizona. He plays many genres and styles, and specializes in acoustic flatpicking and fingerpicking techniques.

Peter started playing the guitar at the age of eight and was very soon jamming at bluegrass festivals and fiddle conventions. He lived in Denmark in the early 70s, and attended a Danish high school. In 1974, Peter moved to Northern Arizona to attend University, where he played with Tom Rozum (mandolin, fiddle, and vocals), Roger Smith (bass and vocals), John Zarske (rhythm guitar and vocals), and Frank Dedera (banjo) in the group, called Flying South, an acoustic string band specializing in bluegrass and early swing era jazz. A later incarnation of Flying South included Kirby Mittelmeier (mandolin and vocals) and John Willis (bass and vocals).

He has been a member of bands such as X-Train – his first tour to Australia – with banjo player Ross Nickerson, and in various other bands, including the 1988 Telluride Band Contest winners, The Titan Valley Warheads, which Peter still plays with on occasion.

In 1991, Peter had the opportunity to reunite with his long-time pal, Tom Rozum, and joined Laurie Lewis, touring nationally and internationally for six years as guitarist and harmony vocalist with her band.

This will be Peter’s fourth trip to Australia’s Bluegrass Conference.

Tyler James banjo:

Tyler who comes from a musical family, and like many accomplished and successful musicians today started playing music at a young age. After experimenting with several different instruments, he received a banjo on his fifteenth birthday and immersed himself in bluegrass music. In 2008, he “came up for air”, competing in and winning–the Rockygrass Banjo Championship in Lyons, Colorado. Tyler went on to take 1st place in the Arizona Banjo Championship that same year. Tyler did it again, winning the 2010 Huck Finn Festival banjo championship and attaining top 5 finalist status at the Winfield National Banjo Championship.

Bruce Packard – mandolin, bass, singer:

Bruce Packard was born in London in 1953, and lived in Christchurch, New Zealand before coming to Australia with his parents. He attended school and university in Canberra, and has lived in Melbourne since 1997

Bruce has recorded and travelled widely with “New Dogs Old Tricks”, folked-up jazzers “Straight Ahead” and traditional bluegrass band “Sleight of Hand”. He’s equally comfortable on double bass and mandolin, and plays mandocello in Melbourne’s mandolin orchestra Concordia.

He has composed and recorded music for film and stage, and also finds time for a bit of acting and sound engineering.

Bruce is a regular on the Australian Bluegrass Conference faculy and brings a wealth of talent as a musician, performer. His passionate bass playing and highly informative instruction are favourites highlighted by past delegate from the conference.

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.

Kentucky F5 For Sale

11 Nov, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Here is a great opportunity to secure a fine KM1000 Kentucky F5 mandolin.

This instrument’s features include:

KM1000 – Handcrafted by Master Luthiers
Solid, hand-carved and graduated select red spruce top
Solid, flat-sawn, hand-carved flamed maple back and sides from Northern Michigan
One-piece maple neck with dovetail neck/body joint at the 15th fret
Lacquer finish in a traditional 1920’s sunburst
Ebony fingerboard with M.O.P. dot position markers and 29 fret extension over the body
Ivoroid binding on all edges
Rosewood peghead overlay with Kentucky script & original-design MOP “Flower Pot”
Vintage-style ebony bridge with small adjustment wheels
Traditional 2-screw truss rod cover plate
Perfectly shaped M.O.P. nut – 1 1/8″
Highly polished nickel-silver frets
Silver-plated, engraved tailpiece with leather insert
Superior F5 deluxe hardshell case

Owner is asking $2,250.00 for this instrument.

Additional costs would include freight on 7.72 Kgs estimated at $35.00 plus Insurance of $50.45. Total additional cost $85.00.

Contact the Seller by filling in this form.

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

Restored Print of Bluegrass Country Soul Premiere

17 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The sole, surviving 35mm print of Bluegrass Country Soul, an independent film originally released in 1972, has undergone extensive restoration and will premiere at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, KY, on November 2, 2019.

This theatrically released documentary captures “the sights and sounds” of Carlton Haney’s 1971 Labor Day Weekend Bluegrass Music Festival in Camp Springs, NC. It features the who’s who of bluegrass music, with such notable performers as Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley, Chubby Wise, The Osborne Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Mac Wiseman, J.D. Crowe, The Lilly Brothers, Tex Logan and Don Stover, and The Country Gentlemen. It also shows many of today’s stars when they were starting their careers, such as Sam Bush, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson, and Tony Rice. The beginnings of “New Grass” are represented by The Bluegrass Alliance, The New Deal String Band, and The Earl Scruggs Revue. Growing international popularity is seen with The Bluegrass 45 from Japan. Roy Acuff, “the King of Country Music,” appears as a special guest star from the Grand Ole Opry.

The Washington Post’s review of the film in July, 1972 called it “a new high,” and noted that Bluegrass Country Soul was the first bluegrass movie. It was released on DVD by Time Life Music in 2006, and sold out completely before going out of print.

Albert Ihde, Producer/Director, and his wife, Ellen Pasternack, Executive Director, have taken on this preservation as a labor of love.

Working on this project has been a joy. The artists and fans have been incredibly responsive. Albert and I met working in live, professional, nonprofit theatre and love working together, so that’s an added bonus – Ellen Pasternack.

After the new bluegrass museum asked me for film photos and posters for an exhibit, Ellen and I decided to donate an archival copy of our film to their permanent collection. When one of my original partners on this film, Robert Henninger, examined our one remaining print, he saw that the color had deteriorated badly and offered to oversee a digital restoration in 4K high definition, Dolby sound, and in the widescreen (Academy) format in which it was first shown in theatres. If we hadn’t restored it now, the film might have been lost forever – Albert Ihde.

To help cover some of the costs for the film restoration, a brand new “Golden Anniversary, Legacy Edition” in a multi-media box set will soon be available through the film’s website, BluegrassCountrySoul.com.

Even though Bluegrass Country Soul had a small budget, it boasted some top technical talent. Robert Kaylor, the filmmaker behind the critically acclaimed documentary Derby, was the Director of Photography. Noted sound engineer and folklorist John Dildine handled the sound recording, and Washington, DC, Lighting Designer William Eggleston did the lighting. Ihde shot second camera, and Robert Decker shot silent footage on the festival grounds. Joel Jacobson was the Editor, and mandolin player Doug McCash was the Assistant Editor.

Carlton Haney, a successful country music promoter, invented the multi-day bluegrass festival in 1965. He appears throughout the film. Ihde first met Haney at his 4th of July festival in Berryville, VA, in 1971.

That August, when we found funding for a feature, Carlton agreed to let us film his next festival and to have his performers sign contracts with our production company. Carlton told them, ‘If you don’t sign a release, you won’t be in the movie.’ In return, the production company agreed to give 10% of any profits to help build a bluegrass museum in North Carolina, a project which never came to fruition. And now, 48 years later, we’re able to donate a copy of our film to the bluegrass museum in Owensboro, Kentucky, where Carlton has been inducted into the Hall of Fame. This bluegrass story has come full circle – Albert Ihde.

Fred Bartenstein, a prominent bluegrass historian and chair of the IBMA Foundation, worked with Haney at that time and was the festival’s director.

I remember how excited and proud the musicians were when they learned that someone wanted to make a movie about their music. It was a very big deal in 1971, and it was a big deal recently at the IBMA’s ‘World of Bluegrass’ in Raleigh. The bluegrass museum put up an impressive exhibit of large stills from the film in the convention center’s main lobby – Fred Bartenstein.

The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s exhibit.

Bluegrass Country Soul is an iconic documentary and provides a wonderful snapshot of the festival experience in the early 1970s. The music crosses all cultural boundaries in this film, and first-generation bluegrass artists are leading the charge inspiring a new generation of musicians and fans. It is an incredible film, and we are so pleased to host this premiere and to welcome the film maker and the wonderful artists who appear in the documentary Chris Joslin, Museum Executive Director.

Bluegrass Country Soul is our big family’s home movie; it’s our youth – Sam Bush.

A celebratory reception and dinner for the artists who performed at the 1971 festival, and the filmmaking team, will be held prior to the screening.

Screening: Saturday, November 2nd, 2019 at 7:00pm.
Place: Terry Woodward Theatre, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum
Address: 311 West 2nd St, Owensboro, KY 42301

Tickets are free of charge but reservations are suggested. For tickets, please go to bluegrasshall.org or call 270.926.7891.

Photo captions:

1 – Sam Bush and Tony Rice as seen in Bluegrass Country Soul. This was the final performance of The Bluegrass Alliance. Sam Bush started The New Grass Revival and Tony Rice joined J.D. Crowe to form The New South.
2 – Ralph Stanley and Keith Whitley as seen in Bluegrass Country Soul. Ralph Stanley sings “Man of Constant Sorrow” in the film, 29 years before O, Brother, Where Art Thou? rocketed the song to fame.
3 – Bluegrass Country Soul was filmed in Camp Springs, NC in 1971. Bob Kaylor, the Director of Photography, moves in for a close-up while filming J.D. Crowe and The Kentucky Mountain Boys.
4 – The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum’s exhibit of stills from Bluegrass Country Soul in the convention center lobby at the 2019 World of Bluegrass in the Raleigh Convention Center.

Savannah Church Goes Solo

12 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Savannah Church, of the highly acclaimed band The Church Sisters, has announced the launch of her solo career.

For the last eight years The Church Sisters have toured various parts of the world showcasing their stunning sibling harmony. Hailing from the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Savannah and Sarah Church recorded four albums including their latest release A Night At The Opry on The Valory Music Co. label in 2018. They have also been a part of two collaborative albums including the highly acclaimed and star-studded Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited.

Savannah has decided to venture out and pursue the next phase of her career as a solo artist. Her incredibly powerful voice has already created fans around the world and the next round of music being created will take that sound to another level.

We’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world with our music and work with some amazing artists along the way. We’d like to thank everyone that has helped us: our fans for loving us and our music; our friends and family for being so supportive; our bandmates that have given their talent and time; the promoters that have hired us; and all of the people that have mentored and encouraged us to follow our dreams. We set out to bring joy to people through music and are extremely grateful for all the opportunities that we’ve been given. As much as we’ve enjoyed making music together for 11 years, we both just realized that we want to pursue different dreams and career opportunities. I will miss Sarah as she starts this new chapter of her life after choosing to step back from the music business. She will always have my full support in whatever path she chooses to take – Savanah Church.

The Church Sisters will perform two remaining dates together including:

Friday, November 1, 2019 at the Laurel County Public Library in London, Kentucky. Free event.
January 23, 2020 at the Frith Fine Arts Center at Averett University in Danville, Virginia. Free event.

The Church Sisters’ music is available at their website, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, and more streaming and purchase sites.

Is There a Bluegrass Middle Ground

6 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Question:

I like playing Old Time bluegrass, but the other pickers in my neighbourhood all want to play hot, fast, contemporary bluegrass. Is there a ‘middle ground’ that we all can share, socially?

Ozzie:
There is always a middle ground, but this ‘demarcation’ occurs for a variety of reasons. Firstly, let’s clarify what Old Time is. It’s the old Americana that was played before bluegrass emerged as a specific (and specifically classifiable) genre in the 1950s. One reason for today’s ‘demarcation’ is that folks new to bluegrass often simply haven’t heard the Old-Time material anything like as much as they have seen and heard the hottest, fastest bluegrass guns growing up in America, kids with $5000 instruments. If these folks researched a bit more they would discover that a lot of the Old-Time tunes were the basis of some of the great bluegrass tunes and songs played today, but rearranged from the farmyard era to a more contemporary style. Of course, if a bunch of pickers aren’t lucky enough to include a banjo or a fiddle player, then the probability that Old-Time gets heard and played is minimised.

So, to answer your question – the ‘tribal’ grouping sometimes occurs simply because musical folks are letting social media and YouTube channel determine what they end up lusting after. Old-Time stuff is great music. There is a ‘middle ground’ – but only if folks are willing to listen to, and try to play, everything interesting that comes their way. Moral of the story? The grass hipsters need to listen more widely. They’ll discover some great old tunes, played in refreshingly simple arrangements.

____________________
This column is dedicated to every Australian bluegrass musician who wants to improve his or her craft – and live to play another day. Ozzie J Picker is an Australian who has enjoyed more than 50 years of playing and singing bluegrass, as well as studying the long history of its roots. Ask him anything.

Vocal Group of the Year Goes to Sister Sadie

4 Oct, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Sister Sadie Becomes First All-Female Group to Win “Vocal Group of the Year”

Sister Sadie made history last week at IBMA’s yearly award show. After a huge year, the band was awarded one of the biggest achievements of the night, taking home “Vocal Group of the Year.” This marks the first time ever that an all-female band has won the award. It is also the first award collectively as a group for Sister Sadie.

“It is such an honor and complete humbling experience to be recognized by all of our peers in Bluegrass for best vocal group of the year,” says Sister Sadie. “Every band nominated in this category is more than deserving of this award. We hope that we represent what this award is all about to the best of our ability for everyone! Thanks to all who voted for us, play our music on the radio, come out to see our shows or just love us from afar.”

Hosted by the International Bluegrass Music Association, the 30th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards were part of Raleigh’s World of Bluegrass, which took over the entire city of Raleigh. Throughout the week, the biggest acts in the genre all traveled to North Carolina to have their sound on full display for a record crowd.

Sister Sadie is made up of critically-acclaimed singer Dale Ann Bradley (5-time IBMA winner for “Female Vocalist of the Year”), Tina Adair (fronted her own band for over 20 years), ACM winner Deanie Richardson (performed with Bob Seger, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless and The Chiefains) and Gena Britt (played banjo with several critically-acclaimed bands over the years). Prior to forming the band, each member already had roots planted deep within the genre. They formed after a ‘one-night only’ performance at the Station Inn in Nashville, which later developed into Sister Sadie.

With the release of their sophomore project, Sister Sadie II, the group has had a breakout year. Earlier in 2019, they were a finalist for “Best Bluegrass Album” at the Grammys, traveling to Los Angeles to walk the red carpet and attend the awards. Another bucket list item happened in March, when they made their debut on the legendary Grand Ole Opry. During the performance, they did a stripped-down version of their song “900 Miles” which was met with a standing ovation. As a result, they have been invited back several times since.