Joe Val in Four Days

The Gibson Brothers said they just can't wait for the Joe Val Festival to begin, me too. And it's just four days away, Yeah. I get a kick out of watching fans arrive, loaded down with instruments, carrying mini- refrigerators, hot plates, lots of food, it’s like an indoor campground. And then the "pickin" begins minutes after the folks arrive, every nook and cranny’s filled with music. For some it’s family reunion time, old friends renew that bond ,that camaraderie that the love of Bluegrass brings about. At the same time volunteers are busily setting up lighting, sound, staging, chairs and all the other chores that must get done. Stan Zdonick and Gerry Katz can be seen hustling back and forth almost at a run tending to the business that needs to be finished to keep the Festival running smoothly. It’s a very busy and exciting little camp for three days that seem to end to soon.

Leigh and Eric Gibson

Here's pics of just a few groups performing, for a complete list go tothe BBU website

Greg Cahill

Josh Williams

Dan Paisley

Michael Cleveland

Past Joe Val Workshops and Jams

One of the highlights of every Joe Val Festival is the workshop. They take place for several hours of each Saturday and Sunday and they’re always full. They are led by faculty members from local Colleges and University’s as well as some of the artists of national touring bands. Always a learning experience and often quite rewarding the classes range from musicians health to harmony vocals to lead instrumental creation, song writing, instrument setup and much more. If that isn’t worth the price of admission then how about round the clock jamming, sometimes with the stars themselves. Indeed many attendees never get to see the performances, they’re jamming all over the place and that’s just fine with them. There truly is something for everyone at Joe Val.

Michael Cleveland

Bobby Hicks

Been jamming all night, no problem, you can find relief in the downstairs lobby

Alecia Nugent

Amy Gallatin and Stillwaters

Acclaimed vocalist Amy Gallatin will team up with master resophonic guitarist Roger Williams for a Saturday evening show at the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham, Mass. Amy and Roger are known for beautiful vocal and harmony styling of folk, country and bluegrass songs. Amy's voice brings to mind Nancy Griffiths and Emmylou Harris and always captures her audience with her easy going style and repartee.
Roger is one of the top resophonic guitar players in the country and when he harmonizes with Amy the results are remarkable.

Check out Amy's site for here

fire on the mountain a bluegrass symposium

A symposium on bluegrass at Harvard University this Saturday and it's free, plus you will get to hear Alison Brown, Bobby Hicks, and Sam Bush. Click the links below for schedule, topics, and directions.

 

• Welcome
• Advising
• Requirements
• Secondary Field
• Courses
• Folklore Syllabi
• Faculty
• Our Students
• Swapna Dev Prize
• Alumni News
• Symposiums
• Links

fire on the mountain

a bluegrass symposium

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Thompson Room, Barker Center

12 Quincy Street, Cambridge, MA

Harvard University

Free and open to the public; no tickets required.

(Directions & Important Information)

Sponsored by the Committee on Degrees in Folklore & Mythology, the Office for the Arts at Harvard (OFA), the Office of the Provost, the Undergraduate Council, and the Harvard College American Music Association (HCAMA)

(Note: this is a draft schedule; some aspects may change, or be clarified, as the event approaches.)

10:30 am     Welcome and Coffee

10:45 am     Introductory Remarks

                          Deborah Foster & Forrest O’Connor

11:00 am     Keynote Address

Matt Glaser (Berklee School of Music, American Roots Music Program)

11:30 am     Bluegrass: Its Roots and Branches

Historians, ethnomusicologists, and academically inclined performers consider the

history of bluegrass: its diverse (and controversial) roots, its major proponents, its

evolution, and its possible future.

                         Neil Rosenberg (Memorial University of Newfoundland)

                         Jack Tottle (East Tennessee State University)

                         Michelle Kisliuk (University of Virginia)

                         Alison Brown ’84 (Bluegrass musician, Compass Records)

                         Garry West (Bluegrass musician, Compass Records)

                         Scott Alarik (moderator) (Folk music writer, Boston Globe)

1:00 pm      Brief Musical Interlude

1:15 pm      Light Lunch for Attendees

2:15 pm      The Instruments of Bluegrass: Craft to Sound

Renowned guitar- and mandolin-maker Lynn Dudenbostel discusses his craft (and

the ways in which it relates to bluegrass), and displays actual samples of his work.

Afterward,  Forrest O’Connor presents his undergraduate thesis on luthiery, and Sam

Bush test-drives a Dudenbostel F-5.

                         Lynn Dudenbostel (Dudenbostel Stringed Instruments)

                         Forrest O’Connor ’10 (Harvard University)

                         Sam Bush (Bluegrass musician, TG2 Artists)

3:00 pm      Coffee Break

3:30 pm      Contemporary Bluegrass: A Discussion with Musicians

Notable bluegrass musicians demonstrate (and break apart) seminal bluegrass works.

                         Alison Brown ’84 (Bluegrass musician, Compass Records)

                         Sam Bush (Bluegrass musician, TG2 Artists)

                         Bobby Hicks (Bluegrass musician)

                         Jack Tottle (moderator) (East Tennessee State University)

5:00 pm      Dinner Break

7-8:30 pm  Evening Performance

                        Clint Miller ’11(Harvard University) opening

                        Alison Brown ’84 (Bluegrass musician, Compass Records)

                        Sam Bush (Bluegrass musician, TG2 Artists)

                        Bobby Hicks (Bluegrass musician)

fire on the mountain a bluegrass symposium

Bits and Pieces

It always annoys me to see folks I consider to be occasional bluegrassers nominated for awards in the Bluegrass field. Why aren't the hard working legitimate Bluegrass people nominated, the bands that work week in and week out traveling the country and playing dozens of dates. There are exceptions, Rhonda Vincent seems to be a contender quite often as well as Ricky and Del but so many really good people are overlooked. These performers have developed solid entertainment routines over the course of time through dedication and hard work and they've proven to be a good drawer for the festival producer and yet they are never nominated to the Grammy's.
I'm not questioning the skill of these sometime Bluegrass acts, they are very talented people, what I'm saying is they are not paying their dues in the Bluegrass genre and shouldn't be considered for awards in Bluegrass.

Master guitarist Jim Hurst is leaving the Claire Lynch Band to hit the road as a solo act. He just decided that after 15 years it felt like a change was right. Claire said she loves him and wishes him well and will certainly miss him.

Spirit Fiddle and the Shady Creek Band

Finally able to get to the Killingly Grange for their monthly Bluegrass show. This one was heavily attended and that's a good thing for the bands, its got to feel great to play before a full house. Most of the crowd pulled in early so as to have time to try that fine chili and cornbread not to mention the tasty whoopie pies and brownies.
The house band, "Nick Anderson and Shady Creek" kicked off the evening with their usual high octane set of older Bluegrass tunes and songs. The audience loves the Shady Creek Band and they respond loudly in appreciation of the energy that the boys and girl put into every tune. Nick has added some new faces this season, Elise Laflamme on fiddle, and she's a keeper, and Mark Doyle on bass and vocals. William Trickett returns on banjo and dobro and Monty McLanahan on mandolin and lead and harmony vocals.

The second set showcased the awesome talent of Master Fiddler, Robin Warren and talented rhythm guitarist Brian Clancy providing the harmonic underpinning to Robin's exciting bowing. These two have won many awards at competitions all over the country and were a treat to hear. They have quite an entertaining routine marked by a steady exchange of barbs directed at each others musical knowledge, of course it's in jest, these folks know their instruments inside out. Lots of encores called for on this night, folks couldn't get enough.

Robin Warren

Brian Clancy

Monty, Nick, and William

Monty, Mark, and Nick

William Trickett

Elice Laflamme

Erica Brown

On a cold dark New England winter night it was rewarding to see a capacity crowd turn out to hear, Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection perform at the Grass Roots Coffee House in Northbridge, Mass. It was the largest crowd ever at the venue. Erica and the band covered some Country, Folk, Pop and Bluegrass music. Although the set was all Bluegrass to my ears because it had the precise bluegrass baseline played by our friend Ken Taylor and the instruments were the standard Bluegrass instruments. There was some original music written by Matt Shipman who played lead guitar and sang the harmony parts and some lead vocal. The band did covers of the Louvin Brothers, Allison Krauss, Bill Monroe, and Gillian Welch and others. Erica showed her fiddling prowess on several French Canadian reels and displayed her fine voice on the many ballads of the set.
The bands performance was tight and right with Matt on guitar and Read McNamara playing banjo and for a few tunes the dobro. The entire audience stayed put through intermission waiting for the second set which says something about the quality of the entertainment, I was impressed with the harmony of this group, especially when they did four part harmony with only the guitar playing softly. If they're playing someplace near to you I'd recommend you stop by and take in their music. You can see Erica's schedule here

Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection

Erica Brown and Matt Shipman

Read McNamara

Ken Taylor