Mike Compton :
Famed mandolin player Mike Compton will perform a number of Australian concerts this year touring with West Australian Band, Bluegrass Parkway.
Mike Compton was born was born in 1956 in Jimmie Rodger’s hometown of Meridian Mississippi. His great grandfather was a fiddler. Mike was exposed to old-time music at an early age and received his first mandolin at the age of 15. In 1977, he moved to Nashville and worked with legendary banjoist, Hubert Davis and the Season Travelers.
In 1985 he was recruited by Pat Enright for the Nashville Bluegrass Band, From 1985-1988, he appeared on the four albums that first brought that band to prominence. Mike returned to Nashville and began working for the late John Hartford until 2001. He was involved in Hartford’s last half dozen recordings. In 1991 Mike began working with the incomparable David Grier, touring the US and Japan. The two recorded a duet album shortly thereafter which was nominated for Album of the Year by the IBMA in 1992.
Mike recently received Grammy Award acknowledgement for playing the mandolin on two award winning projects, ‘Oh Brother Where Art Thou?’ , Album of the Year and Best Compilation Soundtrack Album, and ‘Down From the Mountain’, Best Traditional Folk Album.
Bluegrass Parkway:
Bluegrass Parkway is the longest continuously performing bluegrass band in Australia having just completed their 20th year. The band has played at all the major Australian festivals and toured the USA extensively including festival performances at Beanblossom, Festival of the Bluegrass (KY) and the Kentucky Lake Festival as well as appearances throughout Kentucky, Tennessee and Indiana.
What sets the band apart from others is the priority they have placed on presenting Bluegrass music in its most authentic form. Since early 1994 Bluegrass Parkway have performed around a single microphone, as was the norm for the pioneers of the genre in the 1940s.
Mike’s concert schedule:
Western Aust
Fri 15th – Sun 17th Feb. Play Makers Fest. Albany – (tickets link)
Tue 19th Feb. 7:00pm – District Club, Margaret River
Fri 22nd Feb. – Swan Yacht Club, Fremantle – tix – Paul on 08 9339 6805
Sat 23rd Feb. – Mandolin W’shop, Fremantle – contact Paul on 08 9339 6805
Canberra
Fri 29th Feb. – Merry Muse Folk Club – (ticket link)
Tue 18th – Thu 20th Mar. Master Classes – National Folk Festival – (ticket link)
Fri 21st – Mon 24th Mar. – National Folk Festival – (ticket link)
Queensland
Sat 8th Mar. – Mandolin W’shops, Redlands Country Music Club -Thornlands (details link)
Sat 8th Mar. – Old Brisbane Museum, Brisbane – (details link)
Sun 9th Mar. – Concert and Workshop, VMR, Southport – (details link)
Victoria:
Thu. 13th Mar. 8:00pm – Arts Centre, Warragul – tickets link
Fri. 14th Mar. – The Brunswick Festival, Melbourne – (details link)
Sat 15th – Sun 16th Mar. – Folk Festival, Yackandandah – (details link)
Bluegrass Parkway’s Concert schedule:
Western Australia
Fri 15th – Sun 17th Feb. – Play Makers Festival, Albany – (tickets link)
Tues 19th Feb. 7:00pm – District Club, Margaret River.
Fri 22nd Feb. – Swan Yacht Club, Perth (tix – Paul on 08 9339 6805)
Victoria
Thur 13th Mar. 8:00pm – Arts Centre Warragul ticket link
Sat 15th – Sun 16th Mar. – Folk Festival, Yackandandah – (details link)
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