June 2009 Father’s Day Festival event program P-13

Gra

phic

s by

Dav

e Z

imm

erm

an

P-14 Father’s Day Festival event program June 2009

Saga Musical Instruments • South San Francisco, CA 94080 • Visit us at www.sagamusic.com

From The Johnson Mountain Boys toSeneca Rocks, three-time IBMA BanjoPlayer of the Year, The Right Hand Man,Tom Adams has played a GF-100WGold Star Banjo for his entire profes-sional career.

SHIFT YOUR BREAKINTO OVERDRIVE…!!!

GF-100W

If you’re looking for that elusive pre-war rumble and roarand don’t want to take a second loan on your “Cabin in thePines…,” hook a Gold Star Banjo on your strap. The GF-100 is available in Hearts and Flowers, Flying Eagle, or Wreath Inlay Patterns.

In the studio and on stage, Gold Star has the power ifyou’ve got the drive!

FEATURES• Fast mahogany neck • Deluxe tapered-wall resonator

with twin inlaid purfling rings • Three-ply rock maple rim • Cast, copper-rich pre-war alloy

tone ring • Single piece die-cast flange • Triple nickel plated hardware • Faultless Superior® hardshell case

The Youngest of the Old-Timers...The New Larry Sparks Signature Model Blueridge Guitar!

The Youngest of the Old-Timers...The New Larry Sparks Signature Model Blueridge Guitar!

BR-3060

Saga Musical Instruments P.O. Box 2841 • South San Francisco, CA 94080 Visit us at www.sagamusic.com

In the mid-1960s Ralph and Carter Stanley saw something in a boyfrom Lebanon, Ohio. From those early days with the Stanley

Brothers, Larry Sparks has developed his own dynamic style whilestaying true to the traditions of that good old-time country music.Those powerful lead guitar breaks, paired with soulful vocalshave endeared him to Bluegrass Music Lovers everywhere. The Larry Sparks Signature Model Blueridge is based on theunique design elements of the guitar that is so closely iden-tified with his career. The power and tradition are built inand the guitar, like Larry Sparks himself, is already beingcalled “The Youngest of the Old-Timers!”

• Full-size black pickguard• Vintage 50s style waffle-back tuners• Certificate of Authenticity

BR-3060 Larry Sparks Signature Guitar:

CA Bluegrass Assc Ad 5/5/09 1:22 PM Page 1

Rhonda Vincent

Grass Valley 2010Nevada Country Fairgrounds Home of the CBA Fathers Day Festival

June 2009 Father’s Day Festival event program P-15

Rhonda Vincent

Grass Valley 2010

TheTuttleswithspecialguestAJLeeareamostlykidsbandplay-ing bluegrass and old-time musicbased inPaloAlto,CA.Theyfea-turetwoofthefinestyoungsingersin the country with Molly Tuttleand AJ Lee and the high-speedpicking of Molly’s brothers, Sulli-van and Michael. Under the mu-sicaldirectionoftheirfather,Jack,along-timebluegrassmuscianandteacher, The Tuttles with AJ Leehave impressed audiences aroundtheBayAreaandbeyondwiththeirhigh-levelbluegrassskills. MollyTuttle (15) is the leadsinger and multi-instrumentalist.Whether playing bluegrass banjo,old-time banjo or flatpicking gui-tar, Molly has captured attentiononthenationalbluegrassscenewithherhighlevelplayingandsinging.AsDennisBrunnenmeyer,KVMRradioon-airpersonalitysaidofherCD, “with her crystal-clear voice,crisp falsettos and her apparentlyinstinctive interpretations... this isoneyoungwomanyoudon’twanttooverlook.” AJLee(11)isoneofthefin-est young bluegrass singers in thecountry. With a full voice thatreflects a deep understanding ofbluegrasssingingdespiteheryoungage,shehascapturedtheattentionof many inthe blue-grass musiccommunity.By the ageof eight,she was be-ing asked toperform atmajor blue-grass events,includingthe IBMAFanFest inNashville.

The Tuttles with special guest AJ Lee

Springing from a large fam-ily of musicians, Roland, alongwith brothers Eric and Clarence,firstplayed together as youngstersin their native Maine. Moving tosouthern California in 1955, TheCountry Boys (later to becomeThe Kentucky Colonels) won tal-entcontestsandappearedonlocaltelevision shows and even landed

appearancesonTheAndyGriffithShow.TheKentuckyColonels’in-fluencehasfarexceededtheband’sshort tenure as an active band.Their “AppalachianSwing” albumremainsoneofthemostinfluentialalbumsof thatera,a landmark inthe history of bluegrass. Duringthe years the Kentucky Colonelswere together, they featured suchgreat musicians as Roger Bush,Billy Ray Lathum, Leroy Mack,Bobby Slone, and the legendaryfiddlerScottStoneman. Moving from The KentuckyColonelsintoapositionasguitar-istforBillMonroeinthelate60’s,Roland absorbed the traditionalfeelandrepertoirefromtheFatherOfBluegrassthatremainsastrongelementinhismusictoday.Healsotook part in several landmark re-cording sessionswhile aBluegrassBoy,amongthemTheGoldRush,Is The Blue Moon Still Shining,Crossing The Cumberlands, SallyGoodin,KentuckyMandolin,and

Roland White

Veteran artist John Reis-chman’smasteryoftheinstrumentisshowcasedtodayinthepowerfulbluegrass band John ReischmanandtheJaybirds. Born in Ukiah, California in1955, John first played guitar atage12beforediscoveringtheman-dolin at age 17. Drawing inspira-tionfromtheplayingofbluegrass

John Reischman

In2008,AJperformedatamajorNASCAR event in Indianapolisto an audience of 40,000 and onnationalTV.WithTheTuttlessheplaysmandolin,butshealsoplaysguitar,fiddleandbanjo. SullivanTuttle(13)playsgui-tarandisarapidlydevelopingstarof flatpicking bluegrass. Able toplayatthefastestofbluegrasstem-pos,Sullivanhasbeenperformingonstagesincetheageofeight.Hissolos are a surprisingly complexblendofvirtuosityandtaste. MichaelTuttle (11) has beenplayingmandolinforsixyearsandhas no trouble keeping up withhis older siblings. Whether it’s aMonroe style traditional piece, ora jazzy number, Michael shows acommand of his instrument thatbelieshisyoungage. JackTuttle is the band’s bassplayer,vocalistandmusicdirector.He is an honorary lifetime mem-beroftheCaliforniaBluegrassAs-sociationandhasbeena full-timebluegrass teacher for thirty years.Jack has played in the Californiabluegrass scene since the 1980’sandhastouredintheUS,Canadaand Japan. Known for numerousstandout students, this band fea-turessomeofhisbest.

The Walls Of Time. From Mon-roe’s band, Roland moved on tothat of another bluegrass pioneer,LesterFlatt,playingmandolinandrecordingseveralalbumsasamem-ber of The Nashville Grass from1969-1973. In1973 a short-livedreunionofTheWhiteBrotherswasbroughttoanuntimelyendduetoClarenceWhite’stragicdeath.Ro-landthenbeganathirteen-yearten-urewiththeprogressivewestcoastgroupCountryGazette,firstplay-ingguitarandthenmandolin,withsuchbluegrassluminariesasByronBerline,AlanMunde,JoeCarr,andRogerBush.Roland’smost recentmusical affiliation, with the high-ly decorated Nashville BluegrassBand, began in 1989 and endedwhenheleftthatgroupattheendof 2000. The Nashville BluegrassBand distinguished themselves asthepremierbluegrassbandoftheirgeneration, winning two Gram-miesandGrammynominationsonalloftheiralbums.

patriarch Bill Monroe and newacoustic mandolin pioneers FrankWakefield, Sam Bush, Andy Stat-manandDavidGrisman,Johnwasalso influencedbyhisexposure tothe hot swing of guitarist DjangoReinhardt and jazz mandolin ofpioneers Jethro Burns and TinyMoore. John’s synthesis of this widerange of genres was honed overmorethantwodecadesofperform-ingbeginningintheSanFranciscoBayAreainthelate1970s. AsanoriginalmemberofthelegendaryTonyRiceUnit,Johnce-mentedhisreputationtouringandrecordingformanyyearswiththeBay Area’s eclectic Good Ol’ Per-sons. John’s current band, the Jay-birdsincludeshighlyregardedvet-erans Jim Nunally on guitar andvocals,TrishaGagnononbassandvocals,NickHornbuckleonbanjoandGregSpatzonfiddle.

Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice

John Reischman

Junior Sisk And RamblersChoice are gaining great recogni-tionasoneof thebest traditionalbluegrassbandstohitthesceneindecades.Junior’ssoulfulandsome-timeshauntingvocals,reminiscentof the late, great, Carter Stanley,whohappens tobehishero,havecaptivated audiences for years.Withthebrandnewreleaseoftheirdebut album on Rebel Records,“Blue Side Of The Blue Ridge”,thebandhasonce again capturedsomethingmagical.Thepleasantmixofoldandnewissuretooffersomething for everyone. JoiningJunior is long time singing part-nerandcousinTimmyMasseyonbass, DarrellWilkerson on banjo,JohnMilleronmandolinandBillyHawksonfiddle. Junior Sisk has lived most ofhis life in the Blue Ridge Moun-tainsofVirginiawherehelistenedto and played the music that wasborn there. His songwritinghelpedTheLonesomeRiverBandin its ascent to bluegrass stardomin the early1990’s,but itwashislonesome, haunting singing thatearned him the devotion of tra-ditionalbluegrass fansa fewyearslater as a member of Wyatt RiceandSantaCruz.Subsequently,heassembledRamblersChoice,whichreleased theacclaimed“SoundsoftheMountains”in1998,andcon-tributed to the IBMAawardwin-ning “The Stanley Gospel Tradi-tion”.AbriefstintwithTheLostandFoundfollowedbeforeJuniortook over the lead vocal role forBlueRidge.Juniorhasbeennomi-nated many times for SongwriterandMaleVocalistoftheyear. Timmy Massey grew up inthe Foothills of the Blue RidgeMountainstoamusicalfamilyandstarted writing songs at an earlyage. In 1995 was honored withthe IBMA award for song of the

yearfor“ColdVirginiaNight”re-cordedbyRonnieBowman.Sincethen many artist have recordedTimmy’s material including DanTyminski,LonesomeRiverBand,BlueRidge,IIIrdTymeOut,ErnieThacker, Carolina Road and TheChurchmen.TimmyisgladtobebacksingingandplayingbasswithcousinJuniorSisk,asamemberofRamblersChoice. DarrellWilkersonbecamein-terested in bluegrass music at anearlyageandstartedplayingbanjowhen he was 9 years old and hasloved the music ever since. Dar-rell has played with several bandsover the years including CarolinaDrive,TheTimsFamily,andHoniDeaton and Dream. Some ofhis favorite banjo players are J.D.Crowe, Ron Stewart, Jim Millsand of course the legendary EarlScruggs. BillyHawksonfiddle startedplaying music when he was nineyearsold.Hecontributeshismusicplayingtohismother.BillyplayedwithBigCountry for sevenyears,has filled in with Doyle Lawsonand Quicksilver and has recorded

with numerous groups from thatregion. JohnMillerisatenorvocalist,songwriter, multi-instrumentalistand producer who combines oldandnewsoundsintonewformsofacoustic/bluegrass music. John isonewhoenjoysplayingwithmusi-cianswhoplay“bandstyle”music.Playing bluegrass since the age ofsevenhisbrotherEddiealongwithhisFatherEarnestgavehimthede-siretotakehisplaceinthemusicnomatterhowmuchorhowlittle.Hehas been member, toured and/orrecordedwithTheLonesomeRiverBand, J.D. Crowe and The NewSouth, Charlie Sizemore Band,Norman Wright and The Travel-ers,WyattRice,JesseBrock,FrankSolivan II, Bill Emerson, MichealCleveland, Mike Auldridge, Val-erieSmith,DarrenBeachleyBandand many others. In 2004 Johnteamed up with dear Friend andfellowsongwriterFrankSolivanIItowriteasongaboutJohn’sFatherpassing inmay2005.The song iscalledSelfishTearsanditisthetitlecutforFrank’snewrecording“Self-ishTears”.

Roland White

Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice

The Tuttles with AJ Lee

P-16 Father’s Day Festival event program June 2009

CBA’s 2009 IBMA Fund-raiser Drawing

5th String Music StoreAlhambra & J StreetSacramento, CA

CREMONA SV-200 PREMIER STUDENT OUTFIT - VIOLIN 4/4

TheSV-200CremonaPremierStudentViolinoutfit:solidcarvedmapleandspruce,high-gradeebonyfittingsand4finetuners.Tocompletetheseoutfits,TraveliteTL-33oblongviolincase,andanexceptionalLB-15J.LaSalleoctagonalBrazilwoodbowwithebonyfrog!

Value:$279.00

MARTIN D-18V GRASS VALLEY GUITAR

D-18VDreadnought:SpecialGrassValley2009inlay,modi-fiedV-shapedneck,scallopedbracing,vintagetuningmachinesandGiebstylecase.SolidSprucetop,Mahoganybackandsides.Ebonyfingerboardandbridge,old-styleabalonepositiondotsandopen-gearedchrometunerswithbutterbeanknobs.

Value:$4,000.00

DEERING SIERRA BANJOMaple and mother of pearl inlays

DeeringSierraBanjo:Deering-06-20HoleBronzeToneRing,threeplymaplerimandonepiece,cast,zincresonatorflange.Un-stained,naturalebonyfingerboard,polishedsmoothforfasteasyfretting.Mapleandmotherofpearlinlays.

Value:$3,450.00

CREMONA SB-3 PREMIER DELUXE STUDENT OUTFIT - BASS 3/4

ThisisAmerica’sbestvalueinaFlamedMaplebass.Withitsbeautifulviolin-shapedbodyandqualityfittingssuchastheebonyfingerboard...Youwillsurelybenoticedwhereveryouandyourbassmightgo.

Value:$1,695.00

COLLINGS MT MANDOLINMTA-modelwithfullycarvedEnglemannsprucetopandmaplebackandsides.Satinnitrocelluloselacquerfinish,tortoise-styletopbinding,radiusedebonyfinger-board,tonebarbracing,Collingsadjustableebonybridge,bonenut,Collingsoriginalone-piecetailpiece,nickeltuners.

Value:$3000.00

www.sdoldtimemusic.com Martin D-18 V GuitarDeering Sierra BanjoCollings “MT” A MandolinCremona Fiddle OutfitCremona Upright Bass Outfit

___ 1 Ticket $5___ 6 Tickets $25___ 14 Tickets $50___ 21 Tickets $75___ 30 Tickets $100

Total $__________

June 2009 Father’s Day Festival event program P-17

Proud to support the California Bluegrass Association

P-18 Father’s Day Festival event program June 2009

The Anderson Family Six-member Anderson FamilyBluegrass from Grass Valley, CAgot its start as aperformingbandin early2005. MarkandChristyand their four kids, Paige (vocals,guitarandbandM.C.),Aimee(vo-calsandfiddle),Ethan(Bo)(vocals,mandolin)andDaisy(vocals,fiddle,dobro), all pickedup instrumentsafter attending bluegrass festivalsin several of the previous years.Nowintheirfifthyearperforming,they’ve got a dedicated followingwiththeirunbeatablecombinationof outstanding lead and harmonysinging, impressive instrumentalabilities, savvy stagecraft, energyand charisma. You can find theband regularly playing regionally,throughout California, and intoArizona at festivals, performingarts centers, county fairs, parks,campgrounds, farmer’s markets,weddings,TV/radio appearancesandmanyotherevents.ThebandhasshowcasedattheannualIBMAconventioninNashvilleandthekidshave been invited multiple timesto perform in the kid’s bluegrassprogramthere.Thefamily’smusi-cal preferences are steeped in thesounds of traditional bluegrass aswell as some newer bluegrass/folkinfluences.

Bean Creek The voice of Bean Creek isimbued with early country andmountain music, yet has a joyfuland exuberantquality all its own.Theirmusicisasoulfulexpressionfrom a group of talented, experi-encedplayerswhounderstandandlovebluegrassmusic,andperformitwithvigorandhonesty. Billy Pitrone (vocals, guitar)pens songs that tell a story, andsings‘emlikehewasthere.Hehastheunmistakablevoiceofanaturalsinger, andhepourshis soul intoeveryverse. SarahEblen(vocals,bass)hasawonderfullysweetandclearvoicethat charms listeners young andold,andherbassplayingrocksthebandasnaturally as amotherhercradle. Pete Hicks (vocals, fiddle,mandolin) with his rough hewnfiddle strokes, honky-tonk voiceand edgy mandolin, conjures upgreat old bluegrass, and great oldcountry. RobHorgan(banjo)isequallyat home driving a Scruggs-stylebreak, galloping along with anopenback,orpullinginstylingsofthemelodicplayers,andheweavesitalltogetherseamlesslywithclar-ityandprecision.

Black Crown Stringband Black Crown Stringband is acolorful group of musical compa-triotscomingfrombothworldsofBluegrass andOld-Time. With amusicalmenu consistingoffiddledriven old-time numbers, twistedupbluegrassclassicsandplainold

straight ahead mountain music,Black Crown SB harkens back tothe days of traditional Americancountrymusic and adds auniquetwenty-firstcenturyedge. Although the group is new, itspersonnel are all familiar faces inthe Bay Area bluegrass scene, in-cluding former members of TheEarlBrothers,MercuryDimesandThe Mountain Boys. The bandfirstappearedatthe2008BerkeleyOld-TimeConventionStringBandContest,wheretheywerehonoredtowinfirstplace.Sincethen,theyhavegoneontoperformatmanyofthearea’spremierlisteningven-ues and festivals, not to mentionahostofrollickingsquaredances.BlackCrownSB is veryproud tobeincludedonVern’sStageatthe2009Father’sDayBluegrassFesti-val.

GrassKickers Hailing from the heart of theSanJuoquinisthefineCAbluegrassband.....GrassKickers.Thegroup’smembershaveplayedprofessionallyandtouredthroughouttheworld:CarnegieHall,LincolnCenterforthe Performing Arts, MerleWat-son Festival NC, England,Wales,France,andHolland,tonamebutafew.Nowthesetalentedmusicianshave come together fusing theirtalents intoonecohesive,spirited,originalbluegrassgroup.GrassKick-erspresentsarepertoirethatspansthetimelineofthisgenreofmusic:from thehigh lonesome soundofBillMonroeandthesweetvocalsofFlattandScruggstotheprogressivesounds of the Seldom Scene andNew Grass Revival, covering thevaried terrain with the precisionpickingandflawlessvocalsnecessarytothemusic.Grasskickersalsopres-entoriginalcompositionssteepedintradition but delivered with theirown distinct style. Rounding thegroupoutare:Ron“Bearrrr”Mur-ray-bass, Bob Garcia-mandolin,DixonSmith-banjo,DougBrems-eth-guitar.

Highway One One of Northern California’sfavoritebluegrassbands,HighwayOneplaysahigh-octaneblendoftraditional, contemporary, andoriginal bluegrass. Known for itstightthree-partvocalsandpolishedinstrumental work, the band hasbeen performing to enthusiasticcrowdsatmusicfestivalsandclubssince1998,andthey’veopenedforsuchnationaltouringactsasPeterRowan,TheBills,andNortonBuf-falo. In reviewing the band’s self-titleddebutCDfortheCaliforniaBluegrass Association’s BluegrassBreakdown,BrendaHoughwrote,“TheHighwayOnebandtakesuson a journey through traditionalandcontemporarybluegrasssongs,andit’satriptobetreasured.. . .Thisbandisgoingplaces.”HighwayOne features Scott Atkinson on

guitar and mandolin, PaulLee onfiddle,TomManuelon guitar and mandolin,Jonathan Schiele on banjo,andHelenSweetlandonbass.Check out their website atwww.highwayonebluegrass.com.

Homespun Rowdy Homespun Rowdy is ayoungandenergeticbuttra-ditionally-minded bluegrassbandfromSanFranciscode-liveringpowerfully rawhar-moniesanddynamicpicking.Each set is full of bluegrassstandards,little-knowngemsand honky-tonk nuggets.In addition to their recentperformancesattheCalifor-nia Bluegrass Association’sFathers Day Bluegrass Fes-tival, the Strawberry MusicFestival, and the past sevenSan Francisco Bluegrass &

OldTime Festivals, HomespunRowdyplays regularly atAmnesiainSF’sMissionDistrict.HomespunRowdyisRichardWagneronguitar,Dave Zimmerman on mandolin,AlisaRoseonfiddle,DaveWalkeronbanjo,andDanBoothonbass.

Kathy Kallick & Laurie Lewis WhenLaurieandKathyandtheGood Ol’ Persons started playingtogetherinthemid-seventies,theywere investigating many sourcesofmusicandrepertoire.Thesein-cluded the Stanleys, Bill Monroe,and Flatt & Scruggs, of course,andsomefartherafieldlikeCharliePoole, Hazel & Alice, HankWil-liams,GrandpaJones,LeftyFrizell,andWoodyGuthrie--inadditiontotryingtowritetheirownsongs.Maybe the strongest influence ontheir sound and style was prettyclosetohome:Vern&Ray. ThoughVern&Rayhadstoppedplaying together by then, theirseminal recordings and occasionalreunions,aswellasregularperfor-mances byVernWilliams, helpedshape the taste and character ofthe music Kathy and Laurie have

continuedtoplayoverthepast35years.LaurieplayedandtouredwithVern,KathyplayedsomewithRay,andKathyandLauriehadtheop-portunitytoplaymusiccasuallyandintimatelywithVernandhisbandover the spanof the restofVern’slife.The influences are immeasur-able. LaurieandKathyarejoinedbylongtimecohortTomRozum(won-derfulsingingandmandolin),plustwoyoungerplayerswho’vegrownupinthetradition,PatrickSauber(banjo)andDanBooth(bass).Theywill be performing songs entirelyfromtheVernandRayrepertoire.

Mighty Crows MightyCrowsisanaward-win-ningBayAreabluegrassbandwitha traditional style and repertoirereminiscentoftheseminalbluegrassactsofthe‘40sand’50s. Formed in 2004, the band isbuilt around the powerful triosingingofChrisSmith(guitar),JeffZieba(banjo),andMarkWarden-burg(fiddle).BandfrontmanandSouth Bay bluegrass veteran KenTorke (mandolin) shares his ownunique brand of humor with theaudiencethroughhisstellaremceework.DaveWalker,wellknownintheBayAreaasalongtimememberoftheSanFrancisco-basedHome-spunRowdy,anchorsthebandwithhissolidbassplaying. Recently named the NorthernCaliforniaBluegrassSociety’s2009BandoftheYear,andpastwinnersoftheBluegrassin’intheFoothillsEmergingArtistsCompetition,theCrows have received rave reviewsatvenuesandfestivalsacrossCali-fornia.InadditiontotheirregularmonthlyshowatSam’sBBQinSanJose, the Mighty Crows performfrequentlythroughouttheBayAreaand have appeared on local radioandtelevision. Asaband,theseguysarestrictlyold school. In the words of HighCountry’sButchWaller,“Itdoesn’tget any more straight-ahead thanthat,youareall‘bluegrassboys’forsure.”

The Pleasant Valley Boys Matt&GeorgeandTheirPleas-antValleyBoysisacontemporarycountry music outfit directly in-spired by the exciting acoustic

country “hillbilly” music of thelate 1940s that has come to beknownas“bluegrass.”Itwouldbeimpossible tobemore ‘traditionalbluegrass’thanThePleasantValleyBoys. Their program also featuresthe gospel singing of the PleasantValleyQuartet. ThePleasantValleyBoysareleadbymandolinistMattDudmanandbanjoistGeorgeGoodell.Bothmenarefirst-call‘hiredguns’forstudioandliveperformancewiththecreamofthecropofCaliforniamusicians,andtogetherMatt&Georgehaveperformed on ABCTelevision, atthe International Bluegrass MusicMuseum’sRiverofMusicPartyinOwensboro, KY at the CaliforniaBluegrassAssociation’sFather’sDayFestival,amongmanyothervenues.Matt and George are backed byJennyLynnonguitar,Fiddlin’JimAllison and Cousin Rainwater onthestringbass. Together Matt & George andTheirPleasantValleyBoysplaytopnotch,authenticBlueGrassmusic,providingfunforall,withtastefulinstrumental licks and sweet vo-cal harmonies, backed by a tightrhythm section, all packed into afastpaced,entertainingmusicshowlikeyou’veneverseenbefore.

The Red Dirt Bullies TheRedDirtBullies, hailingfromChico,California,firstgotto-getherin1994.Beforelong,theywere playing regularly at venuesfromChicotoRedding.TheyhavealsoplayedattheShastaSerenade,theGoodOldFashionedFestival,WoodlandFestival,andtheMyrtleCreekBluegrassFestivalinOregon.JohnWahl,bassplayer,leadsinger,and prolific songwriter sparks theBullies’repertoire.DuaneThomp-son,afamiliarfaceatCBAfestivals,drivesthedobro.LloydFoote,for-merlyof8thAvenueStringBand,isonbanjo.LucySmith,longac-tivewithCBAandtheFather’sDayFestival, plays guitar; and DennisSullivan, bully extraordinaire, isonmandolin. All bandmembersshare vocals. In addition to theirCD’s,DisorderlyConductandUpOnMustyBuckRidge,theBulliesare known for the release of theirinfamoussigned,dated,andnum-bered Dirt Bags, holding at least5ozofauthenticreddirt!AlthougheverynotetheBulliesplay,andthewordstheysing,havebeenprede-

2009 Vern’s Stage artists

Matt & George and Their Pleasant Valley Boys.

Black Crown Stringband.

June 2009 Father’s Day Festival event program P-19

Do you have a child who would

like to participate in the

Kids on Bluegrass Program?

Currently the Kids on Bluegrass program, under the direction ofFrankSolivan,Sr.,takesplaceattheCBASupergrassBluegrassFestivalinBakersfield,Calif.,theCBAFathersDayBluegrassFestivalinGrassValley,CaliforniaandunderthetitleofKidsonStagealsoatLarryandSondraBakers“Bluegrassin’intheFoothills”festivalinPlymouth,Cali-fornia. FrankSolivan,Sr.hasbeendirectingthisprogramforapproximately16yearsandheandhiskidsconsistentlydelightaudienceswithhighqualityandhighlytalentedyoungpeople. Thisprogramisopentochildrenages3to18.Thechildrenmustbeabletosingand/orplaytheirinstrumentWITHOUTparentsorguard-ianshelp.SongsMUSTbecompletelymemorized(againwithouthelp).Children must have good enough understanding of their instrumenttohavegoodtiming,knowtheirchordsandbeabletochangechordsquickly,easilyplay2orthreesongsandtheabilitytoplayinagroup. Rehearsaltakesplacemanyhoursduringthedayforseveraldaysateachfestivalandculminatesinastageproductiononthemainstageateachfestival.Parentsandchildrenmustbereadytocommittoalloftherehearsals. Tofindout if your child is ready toparticipate in thiswonderfulprogram,visitFrankSolivan,Sr.athiscampsiteatanyoneofthesefes-tivals.

Frank Solivan, Sr.

www.kidsonbluegrass.com

terminedforyears,theystillretainthefreshnessofabandthatformedlastweek.TheRedDirtBullieswillkickoffthemusiconVern’sStageonThursdayat12:30pm.

Nell Robinson & Red Level Nell Robinson & Red Level isoneof the“hottestnewbandsontheSanFranciscoBayAreabluegrassscene.”Namedafterthebandlead-er’sgrandmotherandthesouthernAlabamatownnearthefamilyfarm,thebandfeaturesNell’s“rich,warmandsexy”vocalsandisanentertain-ing mix of traditional bluegrassand country, including originalcompositions.NellRobinsonleadsthebandandwithJonathanSchiele(banjo, vocals), welcomes newmembers for the summer festivalseason: John Cogdill (mandolin,vocals);YoseffTucker (guitar, vo-cals); and a mystery bass player.NRRLheadlinedattherenownedFreight & Salvage Coffeehouse inBerkeley in August 2007 and re-turnedinMarch2008toasold-outcrowd.Thebandopened inApril2008forLaurieLewis&theRightHands at the Sweetwater StationfortheBluegrassGoldSeries.Mostrecentlytheywonthe2008Emerg-ingArtistcompetitionatthePlym-outhBluegrassFestival.Nellplansto releaseherdebutCDthisFall,withafewofheroriginalsandhelpfromproducersLaurieLewis, andJim Nunally. The band is bookedatprominentfestivalsandgigsthissummer. For more information,checkoutthebandwebsiteatwww.nellrobinsonmusic.com.

Savannah Blu MakingtheirhomeinNorth-ern California, Savannah Blu is apowerful contemporary bluegrassbandwithsoulfulvocalsanddriv-ing rhythm. Savannah pushesbluegrassfarbeyonditsruralrootswith originals that resonate fromtraditionalbluegrasssoulanddem-onstrate a mastery of imaginativecreativity. SavannahBlumaynotbeyourtypical Bay Area bluegrass band -theybringtothetableafreshtakeon old bluegrass and when DoreCollerstepsuptothemic,it’slikesteppingbackintimetotheearlydays of bluegrass - it’s some thebest bluegrass singin’ you’ll heararound these parts. Savannah Bluapproachesmusicwithhighspiritsand boundless energy refusing tositstill. SavannahBluconsistsofGaryKaye/banjo, Dore Coller/Guitar-leadvocals,DaveHanks/mando-lin-vocals, Steve Kallai/fiddle-vo-calsandDanLargeonbass. Savannah Blu’s signaturesound stems from their emphasison original material, inspired byeach member’s influences. Besidesthe splendid playing and singing,theirmusicwill certainly leave anindelibleimageinyourmemory.

The Smiley Mountain Band The Smiley Mountain Bandwas born in the winter of 2001ontheoutskirtsofCalifornia’sYo-semite National Park.Two of thefounding members Jeff Gurule -banjoandEdHeiss–guitar,remaininthebandtodate.Althoughthebandhasseenmanychangessinceits inception, two key elementshave risen as a defining aspect ofthe band; bluegrass and original-ity. The current members of Smi-leyMountain,Gary Smalz - bass,SamanthaOlson-fiddleandDaveCicoletti-mandolin,arelikefam-ilyandareintentonexpandingthecultureofmusicintheirmountaincommunity.OvertheyearsSmileyMountainhasentertainednumer-ousaudienceswithauniquearrayof original and traditional music.Although Bluegrass is the bandsfoundation,traditionalmusicfromaround the world has graduallyfounditswayintothebandsreper-toire. Smiley Mountain’s originalsongs, high energy picking, andrich vocal harmonies have madeSmileyMountainaWestCoastFa-vorite.

Tenbrooks Tenbrookswasfoundedin1990withDavidPutnam,guitarandleadvoice,TomBekeny,mandolinandbaritone vocals, Jerry Logan, bassandvocals,RobbieMacdonald,5-stringbanjo and tenor vocals andeitherKevinWimmerorGregSpatzonfiddle.Tenbrooks,namedafterthepopularracehorsesong,“MollyandTenbrooks, reflects David’sloveofallthingsequine.Tenbrooksfeatured vocals led by the superbvoiceofDavidPutnamandRobbie’sperfectlymatchedtenor.Thebandplayedthroughthe90’satallofthefestivals(TheFather’sDayfestivalin‘91and‘93)andavarietyofclubsand concerts. They have the dis-tinctionofbeingtheonlybluegrassbandtoplayatDavie’sSymphonyHallinSanFrancisco. Tenbrooks recorded their CD“Thoroughbred Bluegrass” in themid-90’sbutitsreleasewasdelayedbyhealthissuesandthemigrationofbandmemberstodistantlands.“ThoroughbredBluegrass”hasbeenwell received and interested folkscancheckoutmoreinformationatwww.tenbrooks.net. The CD hasbeen added to the County Salescatalogue. Tenbrooks isagainactive.TomDiamanthasreplacedTomBekenyonmandolin.Diamant’svoicewithits incredible range of harmonyparts,allowsthebandunlimitedac-cesstobluegrass’srichmixofgospelandsecularquartets.JerryLoganhas written some great countrysongswithgreat lyricsandhaunt-inglybeautifulmelodies. We’reexcitedtoperformatGrassValleyandhopeallofouroldfanswill check us out. Our CD, ofcourse,willbegladlysoldtothosewhocouldn’tgetenough.

The David Thom Band The DavidThom Band is aCaliforniabandfromtheBayareathatgotastrongstartback inthemid-nineties.Heralding themod-erneraofBayareabluegrass,littlevenueslikeRadioValenciaandtheAtlas Cafe gave us a home baseand helped us build a following.The DTB has appeared at almostalloftheCaliforniafestivalsandafewacrosstheUSAfromAlaskatoMichiganandNewYorkaswellasashowcaseappearanceatIBMA.NowthebandplaysregularshowsmostlyintheNorthBayandwinecountry.Thebandhasalsoperformedtwiceasa featuredact for theRedwoodBluegrassAssociatesconcertseriesinMountainView.Overtheyears,theband membership has constitutedavirtualBayAreaBluegrass“who’swho” but for David it has alwaysbeenabouthisloudandirreverentapproach to hard-core, traditionalbluegrass.Thebanddoesn’tgetoutof California much anymore, buttheystayatitonaregularbasisandcontinuetomakerecordsandwritesongs.Thecurrentline-upconsistsofDavidonguitar,ButchWalleronmandolin,PaulShelaskyonfiddle,Andy Shaw on banjo and MaryShawonthebass.

The Wintons MusichasalwaysbeenimportanttotheWintons.Guitaristandleadsinger RandyWinton has playedfor twenty-four years, much of itasaworshipleader.Multi-instru-mental sons Cody (banjo, fiddle,rhythmguitar,bass,dobro,leadandharmonyvocals)andJesse(mando-lin,rhythmandleadguitar,fiddle,lead and harmony vocals) startedwith piano lessons and playedsome rhythm guitar, but becameinterestedinbluegrassmusicinthesummer of 2006, beginning withfiddleandquicklyaddingmando-lin,banjo,bassanddobrototheirrepertoire.Jessecapturedthe2009California State Picking Champi-onship on mandolin, while Codytook3rdplaceonbanjo.Teachingmainlyguitarandmandolin,TomSpencehasnowpickedupthebassandisshowinghimselftobeatop-notchbluegrassbassist,addingsoliddrivingrhythmthatcompletesthesoundofTheWintons. Although their band began itslifeasafunfamilyactivity,TheWintons are enjoying performingtheir engaging mix of gospel andtraditionalbluegrassmusicatvenuesthroughout northern California.Cody and Jesse are now writingsongs, two of which are featuredonTheWinton’sdebutCD,“ThisWorldisNotMyHome.”

The Virtual Strangers The Virtual Strangers, 2007Arizona Bluegrass Band contestwinners, bring a great mixture oftraditional and progressive songs.PlayingthroughoutCaliforniaandArizona. MikeTatarSr.,onbanjo,holdsdown the lead vocals.He’splayedwithInCahoots,SnowyRiver,andwasmadeanhonoraryPineyCreekWeaselbythelateRickAbrams. Jon Cherry plays mandolin,and sings harmony/lead vocals.Jon’splayedwithUnionCreekandSnowyRiver,andproudlyplayshishandmade Cherry Mandolin onstage. YvonneTatarplaystheacousticbass and sings harmony. She is aproud fourth generation stringplayerwithherfather,grandfather,andgreatgrandfatherallbeingoldtimefiddlers. KitBirkettplaysguitarandalsosingsleadvocals.HiscreditsincludetheScottsvilleSquirrelBarkersandDown the Road, 2001 SouthwestBluegrassPlay-offswinners. SpecialguestMikeTatarJr.willbe on hand for this performance.CurrentlylivinginNashville,Mikehas played with Ralph Stanley II,Ray Price, Valerie Smith, MarkNewton,LostHighway,theDavidGrismanBluegrassExperience,theLaurelCanyonRamblers,andRonSpears&WithinTradition.

2009 Vern’s Stage artists

P-20 Father’s Day Festival event program June 2009

By Monte Hendricks OvertheyearstheLuthiersPavilionhasbecomeoneofthefinetraditionsofCBA’sFathersDayFes-tival.Notonlywillyoufindadiversityinstrumentsandaninterestingmixofartisans,itisjustadown-rightfunplacetovisit!Whyintheworldwouldpeo-plechoosetobuildmusicalinstruments?Stopby,sayhello,andaskus.Iknowyouwillbefascinatedwiththeconversationanddelightedwithyourtimespentamongthe“luthiers.”Besureandmaketimetostopby. ThisyearwewillhavesomeofthefinestbuildersandrepairspecialistswithusinthePavilion.EveryyearIlookforwardtoseeingthetalent,innovation,

and artistry evident in the instruments on displayby my fellow luthiers. Although the beauty of theinstrumentswillcatchyoureye,thefoundationwestriveforissolidandinterestinginnovationsincreat-inggreatsoundandplayability.Don’tforgettoasktopickupaninstrumentandplayit. Manyof the luthiers alsoofferon site repairs,adjustments, and set up of your instruments. Wecanalsohelpwithadviceonwhattolookforifyouarejustgettingstartedasamusician.Inadditiontocustominstrumentsandrepairstherearealsoseveralworkshopsofferedduring thecourseof the festivaloninstrumentrelatedsubjects.Pleasecheckthefes-tivalschedule.Youwillfindthatallofushaveapas-sionforourcraftandakeendesiretosharehelpfulinformationandinsights. FrankDaniels–Frank’sFiddles:Frank&Karentravel down fromMeridan, Idaho and this is theirtenth year with us. Frank has an impressive list ofperformersenjoyinghisinstruments.FormanyyearsFrankhasbeenhandcrafting4-string,5-string,andevenlefthandedfiddles. JoeDragony:JoeisaguitarbuilderfromCarmi-chael,California.Whilearch-topsandelectricshavebeenhismainfocus,heisalsogettingintobuildingflat-tops.Joealsoisstartingonaddingmandolinstohisline.Hedoesrepairsonguitars,mandolins,andtubeamplifiersandwillbesetuptohelpyououtathisbooth

2009 Fathers Day Festival Luthiers Pavilion GaryGarciaGaryistalentedbuilderfromCar-michael CA and has been part of the Pavilion forseveralyears.Garymakesflattopguitarsthatwillgetyourattention. Hendricks Banjos: Brothers, Monte and AllenHendricks not only build custom banjos but alsoprovide repair, restoration, and custom work onbanjosoutof their shop inPollockPines,CA.butAlthoughwellgroundedintraditionalidealstheyof-ferauniqueapproachtobanjodesign,construction,and artistry based on innovation and engineering.Montehasbeenabanjocraftsmansince1974.Allenisalsoknownforhisgreatbanjopickingtalentsandisagiftedbanjoinstructor. SteveJoynes:SteveisfromPaloAlto,CA.Steveplaysfiddleandhasalwaysworkedonhisown in-struments.That led to an interest in restoring andrepairingfiddles.Steve’sgoal is toofferavarietyofinstrumentsfortone,appearance,andpricethatwillappealtoalmostanyone.Healsotriestohavearoundafewnewstudentoutfitstohelppeoplegetstartedonfiddleplaying. RandallKramer:Randallbuildsflat-topguitarsinTruckee,Californiaandalsodoesrepairsandsetups.Hehasanimpressivelistofexceptionalguitar-istswhohaveplayedhisinstruments.Randallhasthisgoalasabuilderwithwhichtomeasurehissuccess,“Oneplayingisworthathousandtestimonials.” BillLaird:BillisfromLovelock,NVandbuildsmandolins. Bill likes to spend as much time as hecanbuildingandfindscraftingmusicalinstrumentsa fascinating endeavor.Heuses the Saltgrass nameonhismandolins.BilllooksforwardtotheLuthier’sPavilion every year as it is a place to showcase hisworkandshareexperiencesandideaswithhisfellowluthiers. Michael Lewis: Michael is from Grass Valley,CA.Hebuildsmandolinsandguitarsandhisrepairskillsareknownthroughouttheregion.BesideshisboothinthePavilionbeingahubofrepairactivity,Michaelwillbepresentingworkshopsonmandolinandinstrumentrelatedtopics.MichaelhasplayedakeyroleinorganizingtheLuthiersPavilionovertheyearsandweallowehimadebtofgratitudeforhisefforts! BruceSexauer:AttheLuthiersPavilionBruceoffershisservicesasaStringBassset-uptechnician,

Continued on page P-21

Steve Joynes has fiddles for every budget.

BanjoandMandolinParts

Mandolin & Mandola kits and parts

PO Box 2992, Atascadero, CA 93423, USAwww.siminoff.net • 805.365.7111 • siminoff@siminoff.net

Top luthier Michael Lewis bulids and repairs fine quality instruments.

June 2009 Father’s Day Festival event program P-21

aswellashavingavarietyofStringBassesforsale.BruceisfromPeta-luma, CA and is known for hishighly evolved acoustic flat topguitars with adventurous designsunderthe“Sexauer”banner. RogerSiminoff:Rogerisverywellknown in the luthierieworldand is from Arroyo Grande, CA.He has authored several booksandnumerousarticlesonbuildingandsettingupinstruments.TodayRogerdevoteshistimetothepro-duction of mandolin kits, banjoandmandolinparts,aswellashiswriting. HarveyLeach:HarveyisfromCedarRidgeCAandisanotedgui-tarbuilderandinlayartist.Harveygets excited about building withsomeoftherarestandmostexoticwoodsavailableandusinginnova-tivematerialsforinlay. StanMiller:StanisfromBell-ingham,WAandhismandolinsarewell known. Stan’s goal is to usewhateverknowledge,skills,materi-als,andtimeisavailabletoproducethebest instrumentspossible,andtosharesomeoftheknowledgehehasacquiredovertheyears. ToddClinesmith:Toddbuildsresonatorandsteelguitarsandhastraveled down from Glide. OR.Toddstrivesfortone,volume,ap-pearance,andcraftsmanshipinhisinstruments and calls himself “anall-aroundDobro®andsteelguitarfanatic.” Yuriy Tchechmedjiev: Yuriyisaviolinmakerwhocarriesonhisfamily’sviolinmakingtraditioninSacramentoandalsoinhisshopinHaskovoBulgaria.Yuriybeganhisviolinmakingcareerinattheageof10.Heisalsoasaprofessionalcel-listandclassicalguitarist.

From page P-20

Bellingham, Washington 98225

www.millermandolins.comstan@metaserver.org

360.738.2170905 Mason Street

2009 Fathers Day Festival Luthiers Pavilion

Don’t miss the Anderson Family and the many talented acts performing on the Vern’s Stage and the Pioneers Stage!

P-22 Father’s Day Festival event program June 2009

S A N D I E G O

June 2009 Father’s Day Festival event program P-23

P-24 Father’s Day Festival event program June 2009