Blue Maxx in concert, Rawhide in the studio

Bluegrass in Belgium reports:

Come and enjoy a bluegrass concert with Blue Maxx (above) in Ekeren on Friday 3 February. That's this week! More details on the Bluegrass in Belgium calendar.

Rawhide are working hard (that might sound as a contradictio in terminis) on their new CD. It should be available to the rest of the world on 16 March, at their concert in Mortsel - also on the Bluegrass in Belgium calendar.

New Niall Toner single 'Tomorrow' available for airplay

Hope River Entertainment (USA) reports that 'Tomorrow', the latest single from Irish singer/songwriter, bandleader, and broadcaster Niall Toner, is now available to radio stations via AirPlay Direct. The song is from Niall's coming album Onwards and upwards, scheduled for release on Pinecastle Records in autumn 2012, in conjunction with an NTB tour in the US. Pete Wernick comments:

I admire the way Niall’s deep affinity for bluegrass and American country music blends seamlessly with his Irish sensibilities. It makes him a uniquely appealing artist, and Pinecastle is lucky to have him.

Read the whole news report on Hope River Entertainment's news blog.

Music Contact: USA Roots Music Tour News, Feb. 2012

In the latest Music Contact newsletter, Rainer Zellner and his team report that the lineup of US bands for the 4th Bluegrass Jamboree! Festival of Bluegrass and Americana Music (28 Nov.-16 Dec. 2012) will include Bearfoot, the Caleb Klauder Duo, and Audie Blaylock & Redline.

Other tours for 2012 include:

The Toy Hearts (GB; Bluegrass, Western Swing & Americana; see photo)
30 Jan. Neue Welt, 85049 Ingolstadt, 20:00
31 Jan. Kesselhaus, 83059 Kolbermoor, 20:00
1 Feb. Schloss-Cafe, 88471 Laupheim, 20:00
2 Feb. Haus International, 87435 Kempten, 20:00
3 Feb. Wodan Halle, 79098 Freiburg, 20:30
4 Feb. Restaurant Lerchenberg, CH-8046 Zürich, Switzerland, 20:00
5 Feb. Jufa, CH-4052 Basel, Switzerland, 16:00
6 Feb. Private concert, 50935 Cologne (Köln), 20:00
7 Feb. Bottich, 75175 Pforzheim, 20:00
8 Feb. franz k, 72762 Reutlingen, 20:00
9 Feb. Jubez, 76133 Karlsruhe, 20:30
10 Feb. Alte Mälzerei, 99817 Eisenach, 20:00
11 Feb. Pfarrjugendheim am Apostelplatz, 44805 Bochum, 20:00
12 Feb. Kreuzkirche, 34119 Kassel, 18:00

Alecia Nugent (USA) - one of the leading women singers on the American bluegrass scene, with band
4 May Wodan Halle, 79098 Freiburg, 20:00
5 May Bürgerhaus, 77815 Bühl, 15:50
7 May D.A.I., 72072 Tübingen, 20:00
11 May Club Bastion, 73230 Kirchheim/T., 21:00
13 May Haus der Kultur, 84478 Waldkraiburg, 20:00
16 May Dorfgemeinschaftshaus Nümbrecht/Berkenroth, 51588 Nümbrecht, 20:00
19 May Schweizer. Landwirtschaftsmuseum, Burgrain, CH-6248 Alberswil, Switzerland, 20:00
24 May Ratssaal, 28816 Stuhr, 20:00
25 May Der Club, 42579 Heiligenhaus, 20:00

Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three (USA) - 'Acoustic blues, ragtime, and swing revisited'
26 Apr. Haus der Kultur, 84478 Waldkraiburg, 20:00
29 Apr. Waldhalle, 90530 Wendelstein, 20:00
1 May Neue Welt, 85049 Ingolstadt, 20:30
2 May franz k, 72762 Reutlingen, 20:00
3 May GZ Buchegg, Zurich, Switzerland, 20:00
4 May Foyer, Amerika Haus, 80333 Munich (München), 20:00

Covered Grass (D)
30 June Schlosshof Bonfeld, Innenhof, 74906 Bad Rappenau-Bonfeld

'Hillbilly Boogie', the Country and Roots broadcast on Free Radio Tübingen, can be heard online every Friday (21:00-23:00), with repeats the following Saturday at 3:00-5:00. Tell your friends! Call in: +49 7071 760 204.

Rainer Zellner
Music Contact
Roots Music Booking and Production
Saarstrasse 8, D-72070 Tübingen, Germany
Tel. +49 (0) 7073 2250; fax +49 (0) 7073 2134; mobile +49 170 2134 999
UStID: DE146940684 (German Tax Number)
Media download; E-mail; YouTube

News from Scotland

C. Paul Lyttle, organiser of the Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, reports that this year's festival will take place on 28-30 Sept. 2012. Bands taking part will include the Ballinger Family Band (USA), the Knotty Pine String Band (N. Ireland), New Redwing (Scotland), High Speed Grass (Scotland), the Down and Out Bluegrass Band (N. Ireland), and Grass Routes (Scotland). More details, including performance videos and other new features, are on the Moniaive website.

Paul also sends the first two playlists (22 Jan. and 5 Feb. 2012) for 'Criffel Creek', the new radio show from Alive Community Radio (107.3 FM) in Dumfries. The show, which runs from 10.00 a.m. to 12 noon on alternate Sundays, consists of bluegrass, old timey, Americana, and gospel music. Listeners are encouraged to get in touch during the show and give Alive Radio feedback on the mix of music.

Radio playlists

Kabel 87.5 MHz - Omroep Venray - Ether 90.2 MHz:
Peelgrass Country Programme 2921 (29 Jan. 2012)
PeelGrass is now also broadcast on Huissentv (the Netherlands). The programme supports the European World of Bluegrass Festival, which will next take place on 17-19 May 2012.

Radio Vrolek, 107.7 MHz; local cable 105.5 MHz; Information TV-channel 2:
Country Music Round-up, Tues. 19.00-20.00, Sat. 12.00-13.00

Radio Free FM Ulm, UKW 102.6:
Americana* 414 (16 Jan. 2012), 415 (23 Jan. 2012)
Antistatic Country Time, 26 Dec. 2011
* Programmes in this series are broadcast live on Radio Free FM and Countrymusic24.com and are repeated on Countrymusic24.com on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. (European Continental time).
Antistatic Country Time can be heard on Radio Free FM's live streaming Digital Audio Lounge.

Butler's Boudoir Bluegrass, 26/7 Jan. 2012, UK Country Radio (Facebook)
Lynne Butler's Eurograss, week commencing 23 Jan. 2012, on Bluegrass Planet Earth at 9.00 p.m. British time, 4.00 p.m. EST

Playlists and links to streaming radio for the Swiss Bluegrass Music Association's radio show are on the SBMA website.

Coolradio 1, Ingolstadt: Hillbilly Gasthaus, 25 Jan. 2012, 8.00-11.00 p.m. (live every Wednesday; repeated on Sundays at the same times)

'Criffel Creek' playlists (22 Jan. and 5 Feb. 2012), Alive Community Radio (107.3 FM), Dumfries, Scotland; broadcast 10.00 a.m.-12 noon on alternate Sundays

Rome Bluegrass Jam, Wed. 1 Feb. 2012

Danilo Cartia reports that the next Rome Bluegrass Jam - including country, blues, and more - will be held on Wednesday 1 February 2012, at the Cantine Blues, Via della Batteria Nomentana 66/68, Rome, Italy. Admission is free!

Danilo Cartia website; MySpace; Facebook: Danilo Cartia; e-mail
ph. / fax +39 06 8273332
mob. +39 339 6908450

A bluegrass animation from Chicago

Thanks to Paul of the Chicago string band Tangleweed for this message of comfort:

At this time of year it gets cold in Chicago and we start looking forward to the summer touring season. We had fun making this animated interpretation of the classic tune 'Fox on the town' and thought it would help you pass the time while you are waiting for the spring flowers to arrive. If you like the video let us know, we love hearing back from folks.

Tangleweed's fourth and latest album is entitled Please punch Richard for me.

Virginia Ramblers for Europe, summer 2012?

The Virginia Ramblers (l-r: Jeff Vogelgesang, Donnie Shifflett, Charles Frazier, Zack Deming)

Thanks to Jeff Vogelgesang, mandolin player for a five-piece traditional bluegrass band, the Virginia Ramblers (USA), for news that the band are planning to book a 10-14 day tour in Europe/UK in the next year.

The Virginia Ramblers, who are EBMA members, work festivals, concerts, wineries, etc., mostly through Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Delaware, and have also played at the Grass Valley festival in California and on the famous Prairie Home Companion radio show. They have an open period in their booking calendar between 10 and 22 June 2012; other blocks may be available in late July and mid-August.

You can see and hear the Ramblers in performance on YouTube: some examples are the medley: 'Unfaithful' and 'Lotsalove'; 'Pleasant Hill'; 'Mississippi Sawyer'; 'Don't hurry me'; and 'The old crossroad'. A warm recommendation of their self-titled CD is on County Sales.

Promoters, festival and event organisers, and others interested in contacting the Virginia Ramblers can reach Jeff Vogelgesang by e-mail.

4th European Bluegrass Summit, Bühl, 2-4 Mar. 2012

The 4th European Bluegrass Summit will be held on the weekend 2-4 March 2012, hosted by the city of Bühl, south-west Germany, which provides all facilities. The Summit was first held at Bühl in 2009, as an initiative by the International Committee of the IBMA, and has been held since then under the auspices of the European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA), and this year's schedule includes the EBMA annual general members' meeting. The EBMA announces:

The summit is open to all, professionals and non-professionals, members and non-members of the European or other national associations, who think they may benefit from sharing ideas and best practices with like-minded people doing similar work in other countries. This includes fans, musicians, promoters, journalists, webmasters, national association reps, and anyone else with a personal, professional or organisational interest in bluegrass in Europe.

The programme includes a concert by two leading European bands. Full details, with facilities for registration and reserving accommodation, are on the EBMA website. Register online now to participate and to reserve your accommodation.

New website for La Roche festival

Thanks to Christopher Howard-Williams of the France Bluegrass Musique Association for the news that the La Roche Bluegrass Festival at La Roche-sur-Foron, Haute Savoie, France, now has a new website. Its address remains the same as before. Christopher adds:

We are now taking applications to play at this year's festival. Information and forms to apply can be found on the website.

In addition to festival details, photos, and a documentary video, the new website includes information on the concert at La Roche-sur-Foron on 7 May 2012 by the award-winning Gibson Brothers (USA) - the only show they will give in France on this trip.

Irish member of IBMA Leadership Bluegrass 2012

Ronnie Norton of Dublin, Ireland, who is active as a bluegrass photographer, critic, reporter, and radio presenter, will be the only member of the 2012 IBMA Leadership Bluegrass class to come from outside the USA. The Leadership Bluegrass programme aims to build up a network of people who have shared learning and communication related to the needs of the bluegrass community. The 2012 course will be held in Nashville on 8-10 March.

Ronnie presents the 'Lonesome Highway' internet radio show on World Wide Bluegrass; is a member of the Lonesome Highway website team; and as a photographer he covers major bluegrass events in Ireland, serving as 'staff photographer' for the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, among others.

Lynne Butler on the road - including Abaliget

Lynne Butler (UK) sends the latest playlists for her 'Butler's Boudoir Bluegrass' and 'Lynne Butler's Eurograss' radio shows (see the EBB's separate 'Radio playlists' post), and adds:

Some dates for your diary: I will be touring with Allen Karl for a week over Easter. On the tour I will be doing a 20-minute solo support act during the first part of the evening (apart from the Henley-on-Thames gig, where I'll be the support act for the whole of the first part of the evening) as well as being his backing vocalist for the rest of the evening. Red Rock Country will also be providing support. So, if you wish to buy tickets please contact me and I'll point you in the right direction.

Allen Karl is very classic country, so for those of you who like the classic country sound you will enjoy Allen's show very much. I'll be playing a mixture of genres in my set.

4 Apr. The Clear Cut Country Music Club, Leeds Anglers’ Club, West Yorkshire
5 Apr. The Nightriders Country Music Club, Renishaw Miners’ Welfare Club, North Derbyshire
6 Apr. The Brook, Soham, Cambridgeshire
7 Apr. Harpsden Hall, Henley-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire
9 Apr. United Services Club, Widnes, Cheshire

[On all these shows Lynne will be backing/supporting Allen Karl.]

For an up-to-date calendar listing regarding my gigs either as a solo artist, with the Ukulele Club, my band, the George and Lynne Duo, or anythng else for that matter, please visit my website.

My band will be playing at Orwell Festival in May, and George and I will be at the Hungarian festival in Budapest on 10-12 August [see poster above], performing as well as doing radio coverage; so if some of you could get out there, it would be great to see you... I can't reiterate enough that all these festivals [the major bluegrass festivals throughout Europe] are safe and fun places to take a family.

Familiar faces in San Francisco, 10-19 Feb. 2012

Thanks to Tanya Pinkerton for news of the 13th annual San Francisco Bluegrass and Old-Time Festival. (10-19 Feb. 2012).

Over 30 shows at numerous small clubs around the Bay Area will feature some of the most talented musicians now on the Americana and roots music scene, many of whom are also well known in Europe from recent tours. These include the Kathy Kallick Band Quartet, the Foghorn Stringband, the Water Tower Bucket Boys, the Henhouse Prowlers, the Crooked Jades, and two acts from Rainer Zellner's most recent Bluegrass Jamboree! package tour: the Deadly Gentlemen and Cahalen Morrison & Eli West.

The festival features this year a band contest to bring out rising talent, together with its usual programme of workshops, jam sessions, kids' shows, Bluegrass and Old-Time in the Schools (assisted by the Chris and Warren Hellman Foundation), and the Saturday night old-time square dance. For more information, visit the festival website.

Danilo Cartia Band in Rome, 26 Jan. 2011

Banjo- and guitar-player, singer, and bandleader Danilo Cartia reports from Italy that the Danilo Cartia Band will be playing bluegrass, blues, and ballads on Thursday 26 January at the Cantine Blues, Via della Batteria Nomentana 66, Rome. The show begins at 22:30; admission is free.

Danilo Cartia website; MySpace; Facebook: Danilo Cartia; e-mail
ph. / fax +39 06 8273332; mob. +39 339 6908450

'Old Time Musicians of Europe' website to close, 21 Jan. 2012

Dick 'Ptarmigan' Glasgow of Northern Ireland will be obliged to close his Old Time Musicians of Europe website as from this coming Saturday, 21 January.

Dick, a multi-instrumentalist who plays the traditional music of north Co. Antrim as well as old-time music, announced on 7 January that because of the cost of running the site, he had had to appeal for donations from its users last year - only to find that he would have to pay extra for the privilege of collecting donations. He has kept it in operation for a further two weeks so that those interested in old-time music can make use of information and contact details from the site. Dick adds:

Thanks for your support and interest, and I trust you will carry on enjoying and promoting Old Time Music in your own areas.

Jesper Deleuran of the Danish old-time organisation DAFF has advised all members of the Old Time Musicians of Europe group to keep up their contacts by joining the associated Facebook.

London Fiddle Convention, 19 Feb. 2012

The 20th annual London Fiddle Convention will be held on Sunday 19 February at Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY.

The day includes workshops (from 1.00 p.m.), a fiddle contest, a session, and a concert (8.00 p.m.) with around ten fiddle players in many styles. Guests include Jyotsna Srikanth (Indian), Chris Dyer (Swedish Nyckelharpa), English String Band, Pete Cooper (English), Bob Winquist (bluegrass), Karen Ryan (Irish), and Chris Haigh (jazz). Full details are on the Fiddle Convention website.

Lynne Butler: new playlist arrangements

Lynne Butler (UK) sends the playlists for her 'Butler's Boudoir Bluegrass' and 'Lynne Butler's Eurograss' radio shows (see the EBB's separate 'Radio playlists' post), together with this message to artists whose records she presents on air:

Due to high influx of work this year on top of my normal work, with loads of rehearsals in place as a consequence, and due to the fact that these radio shows are entirely voluntary, I am having to change the format slightly so that I can still do them and keep you all promoted! You will all get regular airplay, but the show that goes out on UKCountryradio.com will also go out the following week on Bluegrassplanetearth.com; so basically the shows will be repeated but to a different audience.

Because of this, however, it does mean that rotation for all of you will be on a slightly longer basis; but on a positive side, you will be getting high amounts of airplay in one week around the world. It works out, though, that the same show is not played in the same week. This week's playlists are a good example. Below is tomorrow's playlist for UKcountryradio.com, airing at 20:00 on 18 January and repeated at 16:00 on 19th; and then below that is the playlist for bluegrassplanetearth.com which has been airing since Monday 16th, Tuesday 17th, Wednesday (tonight) 18th, and 19th at 21:00 (this was the show that went out on UKCountryradio.com last Thursday). I hope this is as clear as mud to you all, ha ha! If you have any questions, do please stop by and ask.

With the festival season approaching, Lynne recommends UKBluegrass.com as a guide to events in Britain, and also gives links to

the wonderful European festivals: EWOB, La Roche, Budapest, Czech Jamboree, just to name a few! Fabulous family events with stunning scenery and hospitality at every single one - a must-see experience.

Lynne's e-mail newsletter includes much more useful information - contact her by e-mail to get on her mailing list.

Major festival moves to a new home for 2012

The Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival, founded in 2002, became at once a major factor in bringing leading figures in bluegrass, old-time, and related music to Irish audiences, in conjunction with Irish traditional and folk music. In 2004 the festival brought Earl Scruggs to Europe for the first time since the 1970s; above, Earl and his wife Louise are shown with the festival organisers Kathy Casey and Chris Keenan. The Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival became a member of the EBMA Festival Network in 2011, and Chris Keenan is a member of the EBMA board.

After ten years of holding the event in Longford town, the organisers of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival announce today that the festival is moving to a new location - the town of Tullamore, Co. Offaly:

This move is seen as a positive step in making the festival more accessible with regards to location and in the form of accommodation, with a number of hotels, B&Bs, and camping facilities within the town's boundaries. Further details will be released shortly, including lineup, events, and relevant information about Tullamore and surrounding area.

We hope everyone will join us in Tullamore 20-23 September 2012, to celebrate the start of our second decade!

Hillbilly Hiccups (UK) at 5th Salon de la Country, 11-12 Feb. 2012

The latest newsletter from Country France announces that a British bluegrass band, the Hillbilly Hiccups, will be appearing at the 5th Salon de la Country in Cergy Pontoise, France, on 11-12 February 2012.

The Hillbilly Hiccups, led by Percy Copley, consist of leading multi-instrumental musicians from the British bluegrass scene: Alice Coleman, Richard Collins, Ian Nicholls, and John Wirtz. With a repertoire that takes in a wide range of Americana including western swing and cajun, the band took part in last September's Didmarton Festival (UK).

New Country Rehab in Europe, 17-30 Jan. 2012

Thanks to Shawna for this news on a highly talented Canadian band who begin a two-week tour in Europe tonight:

New Country Rehab, a Toronto band who successfully combine Hank Williams Sr. and Arcade Fire, are touring in Germany and the Netherlands and performing at Celtic Connections and in London.

NCR’s debut channels Hank Williams... adds a hipster glaze that’s more Arcade Fire than Lady Antebellum, and comes out sounding like Canada’s answer to recent Dylan collaborators, Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons... (Nigel Williamson, UNCUT, Jan. 2012)

Fronted by lead singer/fiddle player John Showman (of Creaking Tree String Quartet and Foggy Hogtown Boys, and winner of the 2011 Clifftop fiddle competition in W. Virginia) and featuring James Robertson (guitar), Ben Whiteley (bass), and Roman Tome (percussions).

The band’s tour schedule is:
Jan. 17 Club Moments, Bremen, DE (recorded for German public radio NW)
Jan. 18 La Habana, Schneverdingen, DE
Jan. 19 Music Star, Norderstedt, DE
Jan. 20 Café 't Keerpunt, Spijkerboor, NL
Jan. 22 Cambrinus, Horst NL
Jan. 23 Frits Philip Muziekgebouw, Eindhoven, NL
Jan. 24 Q-Bus, Leiden, NL
Jan. 25 Burgerweeshuis, Deventer, NL
Jan. 26 Oran Mor opening for CW Stonekin at Celtic Connections, Scotland, UK
Jan. 27 Celtic Connections Festival Club
Jan. 30 The Wilmington Arms, Clerkenwell, London, UK

Official video link; website; Facebook; Twitter
Links to venue websites are on the band's tour schedule.

Marshall Monrad Band on national Norwegian TV with songs from their new CD, 16 Jan. 2012

Thanks to Dagfinn Pedersen for more good bluegrass news from Norway:

Marshall Monrad Band, a well known bluegrass band at the Risør Bluegrass Festival, appeared on nationwide Norwegian TV2 as the special guests in 'Good Morning Norway' this (Monday) morning. Their second CD effort, Minerals & mud, hit the streets in Norway and Sweden today, with great reviews in the newspapers. It was released on the Rootsy.nu label (Sweden) and is distributed in Norway by Warner Music. They had a long interview about the band and their music, and they played live some songs from the new CD. You can see them here (if the TV2 link works):

Songs from the TV2 program: 'Railroad line' and 'Get off of this train': http://webtv.tv2.no/webtv/sumo/?treeId=1602&progId=587987

All songs are written by the band members, most of them by the band leader and singer, Bjoern Nilsen. Their first CD, The Marshall Plan, was released in 2009. Their bass player, Erlend Hoelland, also plays with the #1 European Bluegrass Band 2011, Lucky Lips.

Facebook; website; MySpace; ReverbNation
2012 MMB/ Rootsy.nu (ROOTSY 043)
Distribution Norway: Warner Music
Formats: DigiPack CD w/12 page booklet + DL (iTunes etc.)

Dagfinn M. Pedersen, Norway
EBMA board, coordinator National Representatives
IBMM board member
NoBMA board member
Risør Bluegrass Festival organiser
e-mail (EBMA)
e-mail (home)
Phone: Home +47 3715 4528; work +47 3715 0096; mobile +47 9700 0055
Fax: +47 3715 2022