|
NORTHERN BLUEGRASS COMMITTEE
40 ROCHON RD. Hey, You All. Great summer, despite all the rain. Our own festivals, and others that we were involved with, all went well. We are all geared up and ready to go for 2009, that is after our Central Canadian Bluegrass Award program 2008 runs its course. We just returned from Nashville, and the IBMA’s World Of Bluegrass Week. This is an awesome Bluegrass experience. There is certainly more Bluegrass happening here, than it is possible to fathom happening, anywhere else in this short a time. The week starts out on Monday, and of course you have to arrive on Sunday, with seminars happening throughout the day and showcases in the evenings. This all goes on till Thursday and the IBMA Bluegrass Awards program takes place at this time. The Awards are held at the legendary Ryman Auditorium on the Thursday evening. The Award winning results are on another page of this letter. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, culminates the week with fan fest, which is a Bluegrass Music Festival for the fans. All the top bands in the business are here to give their best, knowing that all the promoters, DJ’s, and all involved in the various facets of Bluegrass Music are here. Personally, I attend here, to study and listen to the groups, so that I may be able to bring back the affordable best to satisfy our fans in Ontario. We have our winter tours set for the next two years. Included with this letter is a flyer outlining the events for 2009. Booked, tentatively, for 2010, is; February, the James King Band, in March, Carolina Road, and in April, Monroe Crossing. This will certainly give our winter ‘Blahs’ a big lift. The Ontario Festivals are going to be a pleasure this upcoming summer, as well. Here, at River Valley, We have managed to build up a great Bluegrass following, even though, at a couple of our festivals, first week-end in July and Labour Day, we still keep some Country Music in the offing for our Country people in this area. Slowly, though, we are winning them over and they are enjoying the Bluegrass sound. July 3,4 & 5, look for the James King Band and also the popular Lonesome River Band to bring us some awesome Bluegrass to headline the week-end. July 29,30,31, August 1 & 2, is our true Bluegrass Festival. Look for Russell Moore & IIIRD Tyme Out, Dale Ann Bradley, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, The Josh Williams Band and Cabin Fever, our US based headliners. A full compliment of Central Canadian based groups, including Hard Ryde, Lonesome Wind, Traditionally Wound, Scotia Junction & more will fulfill the week-end. We ran into Fran & Jerry Morgan from Princeton. Their new festival in 2008 went real well and they are booking 2009 and 2010. The 2009 schedule sees Junior Sisk and Rambler’s Choice and the Wells family headlining their event on July 17, 18 & 19. We have another new festival hitting the scene on June 5,6 & 7. This festival will be hosted by Hapidawg Productions, Doug de Boer & Melissa Sherman, Bluegrass veterans. This festival will take place at the big Red Barn in Wellington, on Lake Ontario, south of Belleville. Headlining here will be the Dixie Bee Liners (who have a number 1 song on the bluegrass charts) and the Atkinson Family and rounded out by our Ontario based bands, including Hard Ryde. A fiddle contest will also be featured. This is a great location and along with the Orono festival, May 29, 30 & 31, this will be the great start to our bluegrass summer. Palmer Rapids, of course, Twin Festivals will run again, July 25, 26 & 27. They perpetually have a great festival line-up in both Country & Bluegrass. August 6,7,8 & 9 has us at Willow Park, in Hagersville. This venue was hit really hard by the rain in 2008. Marv & Marilyn did not say die, and will feature David Parmley & Continental Divide, Wildfire, The Tennessee Gentlemen and Cedar Hill, irregardless of the weather. What a summer this will be. Hope the price of fuel stays stable, because we have to be there! Tony IBMA AWARDS 2008
Entertainer.................Dailey & Vincent
Vocal Group.................Dailey & Vincent
Instrumental Group..........Micheal Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Male Vocalist...............Jamie Dailey
Female Vocalist.............Dale Ann Bradley
Song of the Year............Through the window of a Train, by Blue Highway
Writers.....................Tim Stafford & Steve Gulley
Album of the Year...........Dailey & Vincent, on Rounder Records
Recorded Event..............Everett Lilly & Everybody & their Brother
Instrumental Album..........Sound of the Slide Guitar..Andy Hall..Sugarhill Records
Gospel Recorded Performance.By The Mark..Dailey & Vincent
Emerging Artist.............Dailey & Vincent
Individual Awards:
Banjo.....Kristin Scott Benson
Bass......Barry Bales
Fiddle....Micheal Cleveland
Dobro.....Rob Ickes
Guitar....Josh Williams
Mandolin..Adam Steffie
Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees Bill Clifton & Charles K Wolfe. Distinguished Achievements Bill Harrell......Banjo Newsletter........Art Menius, Ernest Tubb Record Shop..............Joe Carr & Allan Munde. |
