International Bluegrass August 2014

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Co-hosts?

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show

Vol. 29 no. 8 august 2014

Statement of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the writers alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, directors, staff or members of IBMA. Portions of International Bluegrass may be reprinted provided that explicit citation of the source is made:

“Reprinted with permission from International Bluegrass, the publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association, www.ibma.org.”

Editor: Taylor [email protected]

Designer: Erin Erdos [email protected]

Alan Bartram/Director, Artists/Composers/PublishersCindy Baucom/Vice Chair

Becky Buller/At LargeDanny Clark/At Large

Jamie Deering/Director, Merchandisers/LuthiersRegina Derzon/Director, Associations

Henri Deschamps/At LargeCraig Ferguson/Director, Event Producers

Craig Havighurst/Secretary, Print/Media/EducationCarl Jackson/Director, Artists & Composers

William Lewis/At LargeNed Luberecki/Director, Broadcast Media

Stephen Mougin/At LargeBrian Smith/Director, Agents/Managers/PublicistsBen Surratt/Director, Recording/Dist./Marketing

Tim Surrett/Director, Artists/Composers/PublishersAngelika Torrie/Director, International

Elizabeth Wightman/Treasurer, At Large

ContaCt usThe monthly emailed publication of the

International Bluegrass Music Association

608 W. Iris Drive, Nashville, TN 37204 USA615-256-3222 | 888-GET-IBMA

Fax: 615-256-0450 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ibma.org

info

board

STaff

nancy Cardwell Executive Director

Joe LurgioMember/Convention

Services DirectorEddie Huffman

Technology & Office Systems Manager

taylor CoughlinSpecial Projects Director

Publications Editor

IntErnatIonaL BLuEgrass(ISSN #1095-0605)

IBMA is the trade association that connects and educates bluegrass

professionals, empowers the bluegrass community, and encourages worldwide

appreciation of bluegrass music of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Jon Weisberger/Board Chair

International BluegrassVol. 29 | No. 8 | August 2014

International Bluegrass www.ibma.org4

editorial

2013-2014Financial Report

from Nancy Cardwel l

IBMA’s fiscal year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Following is a summary of finance reports in the five areas of our annual budget: General Administration & Membership, Special Projects, Awards, Business Conference, and Wide Open Bluegrass Festival.

ACTUAL----

Gen Admin & Memb Special Proj. Awards Conference Festival

INCOME $153,631 $11,712 $134,907 $411,070 $742,190

EXPENSES $345,872 $8,744 $132,128 $337,940 $565,226

NET INCOME ($192,241) $2,968 $2,779 $73,130 $176,965*

TOTAL YEAR END NET: $63,601

*Note: The 2013 Wide Open Bluegrass Festival net includes a $90,681 donation to the Bluegrass Trust Fund, which is substantially more than the $12,155 we were able to donate last year and more than twice the amount we have been able to send to the Bluegrass Trust Fund in IBMA history. The Bluegrass Trust Fund is IBMA’s 501(c)3 charity arm with a separate board of directors; its purpose is to help individuals in the bluegrass music community during times of emer-gency need.

BUDGETED---

Gen Admin & Memb Special Proj. Awards Conference Festival

Budgeted Income $117,000 $13,000 $133,180 $342,688 $423,960

Budgeted Expenses $246,401 $48,946 $124,529 $247,498 $355,889

Budgeted Net Income ($129,401) ($35,946) $8,651 $95,190 $68,071

Budgeted TOTAL YEAR END NET: $6,565

Difference between budgeted and actual year end net: $57,036 BALANCE SHEET---- IBMA’s total equity and liability balance on June 30, 2014: $767,214 Our balance on June 30, 2013: $499,468 Difference: $267,746 Percentage of increase: 154%

www.ibma.org International Bluegrass 5

editorial

• We budgeted for $100,000 in membership dues income in the 2013-14 fiscal year, and we reached $140,000.

• The decision was made to move all staff salaries into the “General Administration & Membership” category mid-year, so that’s why our budget and year end totals vary more than usual.

• Our actual income for General Administration & Membership was much greater than our budgeted expectation. Thanks to all the new members of IBMA, we’ve had a 40% increase during the past year and a half. Expenses for General Administration & Membership were higher than anticipated because of the unbudgeted IT office and web upgrades, and also the decision to move salaries from Special Projects to Gen Admin/Memb. Staff also worked diligently to keep expenses down in this (and all) cat-egories. Thanks to the IBMA Membership Commit-tee, headed by Dwight Worden in 2013 and Charles Humphrey III in 2014.

• Our actual income for Special Projects (which in-cludes Leadership Bluegrass, Bluegrass Nation/ Mar-keting, Communications & Publications, and IBMA Youth Council), was slightly less than anticipated, but expenses were much lower due to the staff salary move to General Administration. Thanks to our Lead-ership Bluegrass sponsors, alumni, and facilitator Trisha Tubbs, who keep expenses down, in a program where financial assistance needs vary from year to year. Alan Tompkins led our LBG Planning Committee for the class of 2014.

• The IBMA Awards Show slightly exceeded our antici-pated income, but expenses were higher—including North Carolina taxes, which are being added to the purchase price of tickets in 2014. Thanks to produc-ers Chris Stuart and Jon Weisberger for an unforget-table 24th annual IBMA Awards Show.

• The IBMA Business Conference, which includes Bluegrass Ramble showcase series in downtown Ra-leigh, brought in more than $67,000 in unexpected income, but cost more than $90,000 in unanticipated expenses. A number of variables affected both num-bers,

• The Wide Open Bluegrass Festival brought in more than $318,000 in anticipated income, but incurred more than $209,000 in budgeted expenses. Con-gratulations to the 2013 Wide Open producers Craig Ferguson and William Lewis for a sell-out crowd in year 1, and also to the city of Raleigh for staging an incredibly successful street festival that brought an estimated 140,000 people to Wide Open Bluegrass events. The perfect weather didn’t hurt anything, either.

IBMA is pleased to report a successful financial year in 2013-14, due to team efforts from the Board of Direc-tors including IBMA Treasurer Elizabeth Wightman, a number of committees and producers, our partners in Raleigh (including the Local Organizing Committee), a growing membership, and staff. We’ll count on you all to continue working together for the future of blue-grass music, as members and supporters of IBMA in 2014-15.

Overall…

Additional notes: • IBMA completed an IT upgrade, including a re-

design of ibma.org update and a move of data-bases to cloud-based storage during the 2013-14 fiscal year, which was unbudgeted in the “General Admin” category.

• A transfer of $20,000 was made to IBMA’s ac-count for reserves in June 2014. The board’s goal is to transfer 10% of net income annually to reserves in the future.

World of Bluegrass

Going Green at World of Bluegrass and beyond

By Andy Rigney IBMA Intern

One all-too-common characteristic of the vast majority of live music events is a sig-nificant problem, but almost unnoticeable

to the average consumer: waste, and tons of it. Music events were producing extreme amounts of landfill waste each year and nothing was being done to reduce it. However, in the past decade, the music community has taken a giant step into the world of sustainably produced events, and

the bluegrass community isn’t far behind. Music festivals like Telluride and RockyGrass are already on the cutting edge of sustainably produced events. Their contribution is a beacon urging oth-ers in the bluegrass community to step up their game to be environmentally responsible. IBMA is taking steps to accept the challenge with their World of Bluegrass event in Raleigh, NC this year.


World of Bluegrass

In addition to providing an industry leading busi-ness conference and a entertaining street festival showcasing both up-and-coming and established artists, IBMA desires to produce these events as sustainably as possible. Not only do we want to reduce waste and energy usage, we want to educate attendees about easy ways to festiv-ize sustainably in Raleigh! Ultimately, we have to have each attendee’s help to become a sus-tainable festival. One way you can participate while you’re in Raleigh is to download Joulebug, a Smartphone app designed to make your life more sustainable. Specifically Designed for Ra-leigh, the app gives you cost-effective, fun, and smart ways to be more sustainable.

Now, we aren’t saying you should hitchhike, but we are saying you should jump in a carpool with some other bluegrass enthusiasts that you may or may not know, and ride on over to Raleigh together. Check out IBMA’s Zimride site to post your route and offer seats in your car or to look for other people in your area that are going to IBMA. Ridesharing is a fun way to cut down your carbon emissions and help shrink IBMA’s carbon footprint.

We don’t only want to shrink our energy con-sumption, we really want to cut down on our waste as well. Be sure to look for Raleigh’s ‘Big Belly’ recycling and waste receptacles. In the pilot program alone, these solar-powered trash compactors saved the city $39,296. The recep-tacles collected 47,450 lbs of recycling in a short 6-month period. IBMA encourages you to seek out the use of these Big Bellies while you are in Raleigh!

IBMA plans to see our business conference and festival continue to practice sustainable initia-tives and intends to continue partnering with businesses and organizations striving towards their own environmental goals. When we see you in Raleigh this year, we hope you will join us in our goal to be more sustainable. Ask us about how you can get involved by emailing Andy Ri-gney at [email protected]

Tips to save the environment, and keep money in your pocket.

https://joulebug.com

http://www.zimride.com/events/worldofbluegrass2014

mailto:[email protected]


neWs alerts

World of Bluegrass alert: Gig Fair Appointments Move OnlineArtists and booking agents planning to attend the World of Bluegrass in Raleigh this year are encouraged to register for the IBMA Business Conference in advance, so they will be able to sign up for Gig Fair appointments online, among other benefits.

Look for an email message in August from IBMA to artists and agents with more de-tails.

Head to IBMA.org to pre-register for the Business Conference today so you will be eligible to make Gig Fair appointments online, starting September 1.

IBMA Board of Directors Results

Results of IBMA Board elections for three representatives will be announced in August. Individuals in the following three membership constituency categories will be running:

All three seats are for three-year terms that begin in October, 2014.

Many thanks to Carl Jackson (Artists & Composers) and Craig Havighurst (Print, Media & Educa-tion) who have served six years on the IBMA Board of Directors, and thanks to Ned Luberecki, who

was appointed to finish out Cindy Baucom’s Broadcaster term after she was appointed as Vice-Chairperson of the IBMA Board of Directors.

Good luck to all the candidates, and thanks for being willing to serve IBMA in a leadership role.

Augustto be announced in

Artists & Composers:

Joe Mullins, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers

Chris Pandolfi, The Infamous Stringdusters

Print, Media & Education:

John Goad, Bluegrass Today/ East Tennessee State University

Emilee Warner, Warnerblaster

Broadcasters:

Ned Luberecki, SiriusXM David Smith; KDUR (Durango,

CO), KFJM (Prairie Public Radio)

www.ibma.org

Grammy-winning country vocalist Lee Ann Womack and Grammy-winning musician Jerry

Douglas will host IBMA’s 25th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for October 2 at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. Known as bluegrass music’s biggest night of the year, the International Bluegrass Music Awards acknowledges the year’s outstanding talent and achievements, honors new Hall of Fame inductees, and waves the worldwide flag for bluegrass music.

“Aside from the fact that each has a boatload of undeniable talent and personality, Jerry Douglas and Lee Ann Womack share a musical outlook that has plenty of room for creativity and innovation on the one hand, and for a love and mastery of tradition on the other, “ said IBMA Board chair Jon Weisberger. “It’s a perfect combination, and one that exemplifies the enduring vitality of our kinds of music. To say that we’re excited about having these folks hosting our awards show is an understatement.”

Womack slipped into Raleigh during last year’s World of Bluegrass to enjoy a grassroots fan’s perspective, catching Wide Open Bluegrass and street fair artists, listening in to some of the many jam sessions (occasionally acceding to requests to sing from pickers who recognized her), and enjoying the Awards Show that she now looks forward to hosting with Jerry Douglas.

“Last year, I came as a fan – and I loved every moment of World of Bluegrass!” Womack said. “The joy everybody has about the music, the quality of the playing, seeing old friends, discovering new artists and even meeting Tony Rice! To be a part of the IBMA Awards is such an honor, I can’t tell you...and to get to co-host with Jerry Douglas? How lucky can one girl get?!”

Lee Ann Womack and Jerry DouglasAnnounced As Hosts for the

25th International Bluegrass Music Awards


“It is my great pleasure to be co-hosting this year’s IBMA Awards,” said Douglas. “In the forty years that I have been a professional musician, starting with the Country Gentlemen in 1973, bluegrass music has been my anchor and compass wherever I may go. If that weren’t enough, I get to share duties with the beautiful Lee Ann Womack, one of the most amazing singers in the world and a very funny lady. I don’t exactly see a night of sticking to the teleprompter with her around, and that is just fine with me. I’m sure it’s going to be a wonderful evening for us all!”

Womack, who burst onto the scene with “Never Again Again,” has always been a purist about music. A singer’s singer, in addition to her international multiple week #1 “I Hope You Dance,” recently performed by special request at Maya Angelou’s memorial, the Jacksonville, Texan has recorded with Bryan Sutton on Divided & United, Buddy Miller on multiple projects, Willie Nelson, Alan Jackson, Don Henley, David Nail and Dan Tyminski. The Way I’m Livin’, her much anticipated roots music project on the Sugar Hill label, has already received positive notice from The Wall Street Journal, RollingStone.com and USA Today.

Womack’s connection to bluegrass goes beyond just being a fan of the music. Ricky and Sharon White Skaggs put in appearances on her first two albums, while for her epic I Hope You Dance, Womack brought in Ronnie Bowman and a pre-O Brother Dan Tyminski to sing with her on the Don Williams classic, “Lord, I Hope This Day Is Good” - and, coincidentally, kicked off the album with Ronnie and Greg Luck’s “The Healing Kind.” A few years later, she returned to the well when she tapped a group of bluegrassers that included Bowman and members of the just-forming Infamous Stringdusters to accompany her on a couple of memorable tours, and she’s continued to call on Bowman and long-time friend Shawn Lane (Blue Highway) for occasional performances since.

Internationally recognized as one of the world’s most renowned Dobro players, Douglas ranks among the top contemporary artists in American music. Douglas has garnered 13 Grammy Awards while holding the distinction of being named “Musician of the Year” by The Country Music Association (2002, 2005, 2007), The Academy of Country Music (11 times), and The Americana Music Association (2002, 2003), as well as numerous International Bluegrass Music Association awards. In 2004, the National Endowment for The Arts honored Douglas with a National Heritage Fellowship, acknowledging his artistic excellence and contribution to the nation’s traditional arts, their highest such accolade. In addition to his groundbreaking work as a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Country Gentlemen, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Boone Creek, Strength in Numbers, Elvis Costello’s Sugarcanes, and others, Douglas has graced over 2,000 recordings by such distinguished artists as James Taylor, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello, Garth Brooks, Charlie Haden, Earl Scruggs, Phish, Emmylou Harris, Bill Frisell, The Chieftains, and the eight million-plus selling soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

On September 16, 2014, Rounder Records will release two very special albums featuring Douglas: Three Bells, featuring Douglas collaborating with fellow Dobro masters Mike Auldridge and Rob Ickes, and The Earls of Leicester, a bluegrass supergroup featuring Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Shawn Camp, Barry Bales, Charlie Cushman, and Johnny Warren paying tribute to the music of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs.

Tickets for the Award Show, as well as for the ticketed portion of Wide Open Bluegrass (which takes place at Red Hat Amphitheater and Raleigh Convention Center Ballroom Stages), Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration and hotel reservations – along with additional details and pricing information – are available through IBMA’s website, ibma.org.


neWs release

Bluegrass first reached the Netherlands near the end of the ‘50s, just about the time when in the US, the music was recognized as a distinct style and given its own name. According to sociologist Mel Elteren, this late introduction is due to the fact that for a long time the conservative Dutch elite tried to protect the nation’s youth from the corrupting

influence of American mass culture (Van Elteren 1998). Of course there were American soldiers in the Netherlands during and after the Second World War, but obviously not all Americans listen(ed) to bluegrass music or even knew it existed. Regular Dutch people didn’t came into contact with American soldiers that much, and if they did, it’s more likely that they shared a dance on rock-’n-roll or soul music. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, those who had a transistor radio and tuned in to the American Forces Network (AFN) could catch a bluegrass program like the early morning program “Stickbuddy Jamboree,” broadcasted from an American military base in Germany. For people who had to get up for work early in the morning, bringing a portable radio could make the long bike ride a lot more enjoyable.


By Loes van Schaijk, The Netherlands

A history of bluegrass in the Netherlands:Strictly and seasoned, rough and real

5th European Old-Time and Bluegrass Festival in theater De Oosterpoort in Groningen, the Netherlands in 1984

Pretty soon, bluegrass lovers scattered around the country were introduced to one another by mutual friends or ads, and letters in music magazines. On rare occasions, a 78 rpm record of Hank Williams or Tennessee Ernie Ford could be found in a music store bin, but people who were serious about building up a bluegrass collection had to import records from the United States or Japan. People who had a collection were often very willing to share their music and knowledge with others. As people got together for this purpose, clubs were founded, like The Dutch Stickbudy Club in 1958 and Folk Club ‘65 in 1965. Many clubs would be founded and disbanded in the following decades; the members of some clubs had a tendency to be so passionate about the music that disagreements over a review or difference in opinion about what exactly was or wasn’t “strictly country” could break up friend-ships that were once forged by that very same music. However, there would always be a small group of people who would invest all of their free time, and sometimes even their own money, into maintaining (inter)national networks and organizing events for others to enjoy. Because of the personal taste of these people, the Dutch bluegrass landscape was, in general, a bit more traditional compared to countries like the Czech and Slovak Republics where there is a larger audi-ence for contemporary and progressive bluegrass bands.

Meanwhile, back in the ‘50s in Holland, a few people tried their luck at playing bluegrass themselves, which was not easy in an age be-fore Homespun Tapes and YouTube tutorials. Banjos were available, but most of them were 4-strings, as were used in Dixieland bands. Most mandolins were of the classical Italian type that were used in German/Austrian folk orchestras. Nobody knew what a Dobro was, but there were

Hawaiian steel guitars. English was not as widely spoken and taught in schools as it is today, mak-ing it very hard for people to figure out the lyrics by ear, especially if they were sung in a strong Southern accent. Early bluegrass musicians in the Netherlands spent quite some time trying to figure out how to play that recurring high tone in the rolls they heard on the radio and on records before they realized they needed 5-strings. Ad-vocates of the folk revival such as Mike Seeger of The New Lost City Ramblers introduced a larger audience to bluegrass music, also in the Netherlands. After Pete Seeger performed in the Netherlands, some music shops sold longneck banjos, without being able to explain to the customers how these had to be tuned, causing a fair amount of broken strings and frustration. The popularity of The Beverly Hillbillies, Deliverance, and Bonnie and Clyde reached across the Atlan-tic. A hugely influential event was the concert of folk-rock band The Flying Burrito Brothers in the Netherlands in 1972 in which they played two sets in bluegrass formation under the name of Country Gazette. Superstar Johnny Cash per-formed in the Netherlands in the same year. The first American bluegrass artist to perform in the Netherlands was probably Bill Clifton (who lived in the UK at the time) at De Waag in Haarlem in 1967. Bill Monroe’s first performance in the Netherlands was in Utrecht in 1975, with the Dutch groups The Tumbleweeds and The Country Ramblers as support acts. Jim & Jesse also per-formed in Holland around that time.

In the stories of early bluegrass musicians from the Netherlands, pure chance plays an important role. Rienk Janssen says that when he was presi-dent of the Jim Reeves fan club looking to import country records from the US, it was so expensive that he would just order records from Starday’s $ 1.99 yellow list at random.


feature

One record that he ordered this way, Bill Clifton’s Mountain Songs, got him hooked on bluegrass and made him forget all about Jim Reeves. Compilation records, which were sometimes released under purposefully vague names (for copyright reasons) like Bluegrass with the five-string banjo by Stanley Alpine and the Sweet Mountain Boys or Bluegrass Banjos on Fire by Homer and the Barnstormers, could be bought in warehouses. John van den Broek and Henk Donkers of Bont & Bluegrass both tell me that when they heard Flatt & Scruggs’ “Salty Dog Blues” on the 1961 Newport Folk Festival album, at first they absolutely hated it, only to gradually become captivated by it, until in the end, it was the only song from the album they would listen to. As hippies protesting against the war in Vietnam, capi-talism and mass consumer culture, they were not too thrilled with the connotations that (music from) America had (folk revival music excepted), but, they say, they were “hypnotized” by it nonetheless.

The first bluegrass bands in the Netherlands were The Dutch Bluegrass Boys (1965), The Rusty String Pickers (1965), The Smoky Mountain Rangers (1967) and The Kentucky Mountaineers (1968). The music of The New Lost City Ramblers had inspired Berry Selles to found The Country Ramblers in 1971 to-gether with Jan Roelofs. After the skilled instrumen-talists Lody van Vlodrop and his brother Paul joined the band, The Country Ramblers would grow out to be the first professional bluegrass band in the Netherlands and the first Dutch band to showcase in the US (at the Berkshire Mountain Festival). Paul would later found 4 Wheel Drive, an international bluegrass band consisting of professional musicians that is still active today and which showcased at the IBMA Fan Fest in 2002. Kevin Lynch, an American bluegrass musician who came to the Netherlands on tour with Traver Hollow and other bands many times in the ‘80s and ‘90s until he settled there perma-

nently in 2008, remembers the impact that perfor-mance made on him and the rest of the audience. Lead singer Theo Lissenberg, admired both in the Netherlands and in the US for his knowledge of the music’s history and context and for his warm, expres-sive voice, was in a late stage of cancer at that time but made the trip anyway. According to Kevin, the audience “literally jumped up out of their chairs after the final song, ultimately demanding three encores.” (Interview with Kevin Lynch; April 3, 2014). Another Dutch bluegrass band that has been operating on a professional level for quite a while and has made multiple tours to the US is The Bluegrass Boogiemen. The band has a knack for playing for all kinds of audi-ences, from senior citizens to young punk rockers, and has been in high demand since they signed with Excelsior.

The Unplugged craze of the ‘90s, including Nirvana’s performance of “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” brought many young people to styles as roots, Americana or alternative country. The 2001 Coen Brothers’ film O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the concert Down From The Mountain confronted an entire generation of young adults in the Netherlands with a wide range of bluegrass music. Recently, the Belgian movie The Broken Circle Breakdown (2013, based on a play) caused a true bluegrass revival in Flanders. The film won a César and was nominated for an Oscar. The imagery of the movie appeals to the currently trendy hipster-taste for all things retro, rough and “real.” Guido de Groot, organiser of the highly succesful Bluegrassfestival Pijnackerplein in Rotterdam, says: “People want fair and organic food, and they want fair and organic music. Acoustic mu-sic, down to earth, with the performers so close that you could touch them. Music that you could go see with your grandmother and children, or you could go see it and get totally wasted. Because it’s rock-’n-roll too, you know.” (Interview with Guido de Groot;


A history of Bluegrass in the Netherlandsfeature

March 18, 2014). In his opinion, this “rough but real” quality of bluegrass music fits perfectly to the men-tality of the district of Het Oude Noorden in Rotter-dam where the festival is held. “[...] there are quite of a lot of Hillbillies here, which gives the district a folky feeling, people are sitting on their front porches just like they used to do in Kentucky or Tennessee. Rotterdam is actually the Deep South of Europe [...]”. (Retronique 2012; translation LvS).

Roughly speaking, there are two bluegrass communi-ties in the Netherlands; the more traditionalist group is always looking for a “strictly” sound and defines their taste as distinct from both the classical or reli-gious music of their parents and the youth cultures that other members of their own generation em-braced (like rock-’n-roll, Brit pop, folkrock, psychedel-ic rock or rockabilly), while the other group consists of people who subscribe to some form of youth cul-ture but are looking to either deepen or widen their understanding of the music, its origins and the com-munity. Some people feel most comfortable in their own familiar group, while others prefer to be able to move freely between groups or straddle both worlds. For some, bluegrass is a very important part of their identity, while others prefer not to draw too much attention to their musical tastes. But on the whole it does seem like there is an appeal to bluegrass music which speaks equally to the young and the old, the hipsters and the square, and connects them. What fiddler Joost Belinfante writes about the musicians of the band C.C.C. Inc. might be something all bluegrass lovers can either relate or aspire to: “In forty years, we have been through all the major events in life as a group: adventure, hate, love, infidelity, insanity, death. And you can hear it in the music: it is sea-soned. We have become the people we used to sing about.” (Belinfante 2008, 1; translation LvS).

Note: This article was based on the research for my master thesis ‘High lonesome’ below sea level: high modernity individualism and the traditionalist blue-grass community in The Netherlands (1960-2014) which is currently awaiting approval. I am hoping to find a PhD position in (socio)musicology. Questions, comments and suggestions are welcomed at [email protected].

Keep track: http://www.kunstendenkwerk.nl/Kunst_en_Denkwerk/Weblog/Weblog.html

Sources:

Joost Belinfante, “Voorwoord”, in: C.C.C.Inc.: Een band 1967-2007 (revised edition 2008; Haarlem 2007) 1.

“Interview met Guido de Groot van het Pijnacker-plein Bluegrass Festival”, in: Retronique. Real men real style (June 21, 2012). http://www.retronique.nl/interview-met-guido-de-groot-van-het-pijnacker-plein-bluegrass-festival/

Elteren, Mel van, “Dutch Country Music: between creative appropriation and mere epigonism” in: Popular Music and Society (1998) 91-113.

Interviews and email contact (2014) with:

Jaap Margry, Paul van Vlodrop, Pieter Groenveld, Dutch Bluegrass Boys, Blue Grass Boogiemen, Hans van Dam, Bob Heidema, Rienk Janssen, Bont & Bluegrass, AG and Kate, Guido de Groot, Tennessee Studs, Laurens Joensen, Floris de Vries and Mariecke Borger, Wim van de Weg, Herman Brock Jr, Fred Rei-ffers, Kevin Lynch, Jaap van Beusekom, Advan Trier, Frans van Trier, Theo van Trier, Loek Lamers, Henk Abrahams.

All quotations are translated from Dutch to English for this article by Loes van Schaijk.


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http://www.kunstendenkwerk.nl/Kunst_en_Denkwerk/Weblog/Weblog.html

http://www.kunstendenkwerk.nl/Kunst_en_Denkwerk/Weblog/Weblog.html


iBMa Board Q&A with Cindy Baucom, Vice Chair

Cindy Baucom is the host, producer & network affiliate manager of the nationally syndicated “Knee-Deep In Bluegrass” radio show. She was elected to the Board in 2008 and currently serves as Vice Chair.

How have you seen the bluegrass industry change?

Working in it, I have seem more acceptance of Bluegrass as a serious music format. I have heard a wider variety of influ-ences come into the genre, giving the sound of bluegrass a broader spectrum from tradi-tion to contemporary to pro-gressive.

In brief, what brought you to bluegrass music?

I was born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountain of North Carolina and nearly every activ-ity growing up involved music in some way; it was just all around me. My dad had been playing Bluegrass since he was young. I developed a passion for it early and was lucky to grow up attending festivals and conven-tions and eventually joining my Dad’s band when I was in the 9th grade. My first radio job came at the age of 17, on my hometown radio station after school.

Shakehowdy

Getting to Knowyour IBMA Board&

What do you hope to bring to the bluegrass communi-ty by serving on the board of directors?

I appreciate the opportunity of having a voice in this industry. I think my 3 decades in broad-casting, along with being a sing-er and bass player, too, have given me a lot of insight as far as what elements might help further the reach of bluegrass Music to the fans. And with a husband who has worked his entire career in Bluegrass, gives me another area to pull infor-mation and experience from.


iBMa Board

What projects are you working on for the future of bluegrass music right now?

“Knee-Deep In Bluegrass” continues to grow-and that is my main focus. I also work hard promoting Terry [Baucom, husband] and his music, so the driving-style of bluegrass banjo can be enjoyed by the masses!

What is your favorite (bluegrass) album and why?

Wow...I have many, many favorites, so this is a tough one...”Never Thought of Looking Back” by Terry Baucom on the John Boy & Billy label holds such a special place in my heart. I was privileged to work as producer and harmony vocalist on that recording that featured some of the greatest talents in music. It took me out of my comfort zone and became very successful...there is no feeling to top that!

Give us the top three best festivals you’ve attended.

Again, I just feel so honored that I have not only attended these great events, but served as emcee. My top 3 would have to be: MerleFest; The inaugural Dailey Vincent Fest; and The Red White and Bluegrass Festival.

What is your advice to someone fresh to the bluegrass industry?

Establish as many relationships and friendships as possible, early on.

When we work together, so much more can be accomplished. Many of my teenage festival jamming buddies are active in music on a professional level. That, along with never ceasing to educate yourself on everything from the music’s history to the most current trends. Follow your passion and be prepared for the opportunities as they are presented to you.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE!


MeMBership neWs

The typical person retires around the age of 65. For the next 20 to 30 or more years after that, they’re going to have considerable expenses without the benefit of employment income. If one has an ad-equate amount saved, they still have to allow for the effects of inflation. So, how does one prepare? It begins with a sound financial plan and a sizable part of that plan includes investments.

Consider a balanced approach that could include a portion of your money in guaranteed income streams and a portion in investments designed to offset buying power lost to inflation.

How do I start?You want to make sure reach your retirement goals. Be careful: quick answers can be dangerous. No one company or product can serve every need. If you are not an expert, consider asking for help. Work to un-derstand what’s available out there, and what’s best suited for you personally.

What is the best way to save for my retirement? Should I be in stocks, bonds, gold, real estate, CDs or annuities? What is an annuity? How do mutual funds work? Which investment is best for me?

The real answer is: it depends on your own situation, your own needs. All the products have value if used appropriately. The big challenge is in knowing which product to use, and when.

We advise sitting down with someone with the expertise and experience to look at your situation and come up with a tailored answer, addressing your real-world situation.

What questions do I need to ask myself?• Do I need to invest?

• What are my goals (wealth building, guaranteed income, legacy planning)?

• How do I get there?

• Am I qualified to manage my own investments?

• Is my money where it should be, now?

• What are the risks in investing? What is my risk tolerance?

What questions should I ask my advisor?• Why should I trust you?

• Why should I work with you?

• What is your experience level?

To get the most out of your money, sit down with some-one who cares enough to listen to your needs, your goals and act on your best interest. If you don’t have someone like that in your life – give Sound Healthcare and Financial a call. We may not know everything, but we can get you going in the right direction!

Consultation with Sound Healthcare & Financial represen-tatives regarding health insurance and wealth manage-ment is an IBMA Member benefit. To join IBMA, please visit www.ibma.org.

Membership Focus by Sam Gee, Sound Healthcare & Financial

Who me? Invest?

http://www.ibma.org

http://soundhealthcare.org/


JoB opening

The International Bluegrass Music Association is accepting resumes through August 25, 2014 for a Member Services Specialist: a “customer service,” contract staff position. Our new IBMA Member Services Specialist will work 20 hours/week, in the Nashville, Tennes-see office.

The successful candidate will have a deep knowledge of bluegrass music, the bluegrass music industry, and the bluegrass community. We’re looking for someone with a very posi-tive, friendly personality dedicated to the concept of serving IBMA members and helping them get as much value as possible out of their association with the organization they are a part of. Our new Member Services Specialist will be a “people” person with good Micro-soft Excel and Access database skills who has a great telephone voice and is skilled at time management.

IBMA is committed to serving our members well, in a timely way. If you are a current member, you will be hearing from our new Member Services Specialist on a regular basis by telephone or email, to check in and see how your bluegrass career and project plans are going, how IBMA can help promote what you’re doing, and how we can connect you with other individuals in the community to help you achieve your goals The Member Services Specialist will also be the point person on the IBMA staff for member requests-which will be addressed immediately or fielded to the appropriate staff person.

Please send resumes to [email protected]. We plan to fill the position in September 2014.

ibma member services specialistsought for IBMA staff

mailto:[email protected]%3cmailto:[email protected]

There were just under 50 applicants to play this year’s Youth Stage, and were chosen by the Youth Council which is made up of five ex-ecutive youth members, and led by Chair Andy Rigney. IBMA Board Member Danny Clark, and IBMA staff liason Taylor Coughlin lend help and support.

“I am so excited to see the Youth Council working together to encourage youth in the bluegrass community,” said Andy Rigney Chair. “It has been a true honor to work with the teens on the youth council. You can thank them for most of the great youth opportuni-ties at WOB this year.”

Along with programming the Youth Stage, the IBMA Youth Council has activities for youth throughout the World of Bluegrass week. Begin-ning Wednesday, the Youth will host a kick-off party with ice breakers, jamming, and free food. Youth-focused seminars, famous band drop-ins and jamming are also scheduled Thursday through Saturday and will be held in the Youth Room inside the Raleigh Convention Center.

For more information on the Youth Council, visit The Youth Page on IBMA.org.

To purchase IBMA Business Conference Registra-tions, Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Award Show Tickets, and tickets to the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival, click here.


WoB neWs

IBMA youth council announces

ten

The Lindsey Family, Greensburg, KYBreaking Grass, Rienzi, MSMeyerband, Greenbrier,TN

Ash Breeze, Fayetteville, NCGold Heart, Hamilton, VA

The Burie Family, New Berlin, WICup O’Joe, Armagh, Northern Ireland

The Willis Clan, Ashland City, TNMaybe April, Nashville, TN

The Onlies, Seattle, WA

youth stage bandsThe International Bluegrass Music Association Youth Council has chosen the ten bands who will perform on the Youth Stage at the Wide Open Bluegrass Street Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4. The following bands have been invited to play:

https://ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass/youth

http://www.ibma.org


WoB neWs

Songwriters showcase writers announced

Larry Cordle, Claire Lynch and

Becky Buller

with Co-hosts


WoB neWs

An all-star lineup of prolific singer/songwriters Larry Cordle, Claire Lynch, and Becky Buller, will co-host the IBMA Songwriter Showcase at World of Bluegrass, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2 from 1:30-2:30 p.m.at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, N.C.

Brandi Belle Clarke, Kristina Kidd, Lexi Adams: “Mockingbird”

Aaron Biebelhauser and Michael Cleveland: “I’ll Be On My Way”

Louisa Branscomb: “Riding Double on My Old John Deere”

Dawn Kennedy, Mitch Matthews, David Morris: “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Train”

David Morris, Chris Dockins: “Weeds Where the Flowers of Love Once Grew”

Emma McDowell Best: “Round and Round”

John C. Miller: “Cloud of Dust” Teresa Neal, Louisa Branscomb, CC Crouch: “Money Can’t Buy Grace”

Savannah Strong-Finch, Tim Finch: “Your Love is Like Moonshine”

Eric Marshall: “A Soldier’s Return”

The following songwriters are alternates and will be contacted in the event an

originally-invited songwriter cannot attend:

Ulli Buth: “Coming Home as a Stranger”

Margaret Drees: “Daughter of the Mountain”

Terry Edwards: “Let Love Stay Here Tonight”

Robby Hecht: “Pap’s Down the Road Dead”

Josh Wajahn: “Running From the Pain”

IBMA is please to announce the following writers have been asked to showcase the original songs listed below

Sixty Artist: John Cowan

Label: Compass Records


August 2014FReSH SOuNDS

On Down the LineArtist: Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper


Lonesome and Then SomeArtist: Larry Sparks

Label: Rebel Records

Beyond the Blue Artist: The Duhks


Open Carefully, Message InsideArtist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Label: Mountain Home Music Company

Cold SpellArtist: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen


Volume 2 Artist: Nate Leath

Label: Patuxent Music

Bright MundeArtist: Alan Munde & Billy Bright

Label: Munde’s Child Records

Chapter Two - BootsArtist: The Willis Clan

Hard Core BluegrassArtist: Al Jones & The Spruce Mountain Boys

Label: Patuxent Music


FReSH SOuNDS

TooArtist: Flatt Lonesome

Label: Mountain Home Music Company

Turn This Heart AroundArtist: Missy Werner

Label: Missy Werner Music

The Road That Brings You HomeArtist: Jim and Lynna WoolseyLabel: Broken Record Records

Coming Back for MoreArtist: Richard Cifersky

Label: Velvet Music

Straight-Ahead BluegrassArtist: The Roland White Band

Window ViewArtist: Nick DeSebastian

Label: FGM Records

Better Than BlueArtist: Trinity River Band

Label: Orange Blossom Records


August 2014FReSH SOuNDS

August 2014Industry NeWS

On the Charts as reflected at press time

Heard round the world


Billboard: A Dotted Line by Nickel Creek at number one; The Bluegrass Album by Alan Jackson at num-ber two; Timeless Treasures: Bluegrass Gospel by Jonathan Widger, Sarah Moore and Randy Nichols.

Bluegrass Today Monthly Airplay: “Too Blue to Have the Blues,” by Detour (written by Jeff Rose, Terry Herd) at number one; “Pike County Jail,” by Dave Ad-kins (written by Dave Adkins) at number two; “Like My Dog,” by Darren Nicholson (written by Harley Allen, Scotty Emerick) at number three.

Bluegrass Unlimited songs: “The Game,” by Blue Highway at number one; “That’s Kentucky,” by Lor-raine Jordan and Carolina Road) at number two; “Big Blue Raindrops,” by Del McCoury Band at num-ber three.

Bluegrass Unlimited albums: The Game by Blue High-way (Rounder) at number one; Only Me by Rhonda Vincent (Upper Mgmt) at number two; Three Chords and the Truth by James King (Rounder) at number three.

Singing News: “When I Get Home,” by Primitive Quartet at number one; “God’s Been Good,” by Rochesters at number two; “The Devil’s Train,” by James King at number three.

Wirrina Bluegrass and Acoustic Roots Festival Sept 5-7 is the acoustic event of South Australia and hosted at the Wirrina Resort and Conference Cen-tre, and the artist lineup has now been finalized and can be found at http://www.wirrinabluegrass.com. It includes Carol Bean and Tony Burt from New Zealand, The Company from Queensland, Coolgrass from Victoria, Lou Bradley Trio of New South Wales, Passionate Fools, Taylor Pfeiffer and Trev Warner of South Australia, the Adelaide Old Time Stringband and many more.

Bennett Sullivan, a banjo player and educator liv-ing in New York City, recently partnered with Jiri Markalous, a Czech iPhone/iPad developer to create a brand new learning tool for banjo players based on a teaching method Bennett came up with. The app is called Listen & Learn: Banjo, and is available on the App Store for $1.99.

John Flanagan of the Begin Agains, Triple J Un-earthed and 2013 Gympie Muster Talent Search fame has received an Arts Australia Council grant to aid the recording of his second album with producer Viktor Krauss (brother of Alison Krauss) in Nashville, Tennessee.

http://www.wirrinabluegrass.com

http://www.wirrinabluegrass.com

http://www.listenandlearnapp.com

http://www.listenandlearnapp.com

INDuStRY NeWS

For the Record


Jason Burleson of Blue Highway was rushed to the hospital in Le Puy en Velay, France after being taken ill with, what has since been diagnosed, a stomach ulcer the weekend of July 26. Burleson recovered and re-united with the band to continue the tour.

ChordBuddy LLC, makers of the popular ChordBud-dyTM Guitar Learning System and the ChordBuddy Jr. kids guitar, announced that it will be the present-ing sponsor for “Knee-Deep in Bluegrass,” a weekly two-hour syndicated radio show hosted by IBMA Vice-Chair Cindy Baucom. “It is exciting to have the opportunity to introduce the amazing ChordBuddy to listeners of the show,” said Baucom. “I have seen time and time again how learning to play music can be life changing, and ChordBuddy makes playing easy and fun!”

Sam Moore, voted one of the 100 top pop voices of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, has joined bluegrass group Nu-Blu as a special guest on their upcoming single release “Jesus & Jones,” a song that pays tribute to the late George Jones. The highly anticipated track will serve as the first offering from their forthcoming album, All The Way, due on Sep-tember 16 from Rural Rhythm Records.

Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice has announced a new partnership with Chantilly Farm in Floyd County, Vir-ginia, home of the well-known Chantilly Farm Blue-grass & BBQ Festival. Chantilly Farm Bluegrass & BBQ Festival will now be the home festival for Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice. The festival will celebrate its fifth year in 2015, and will also expand to two days full of music, arts and crafts, children’s activities, and more.

The 32nd annual International Country Music Conference will be held beginning Thursday, May 21 through Saturday , May 23, 2015 at Belmont Uni-versity in Nashville, Tennessee. ICMC proposals are due by Friday, October 24, 2014. Early submission of proposals is preferred. Visit http://www.internation-alcountrymusic.org/ for details.

Colorado banjo picker and occasional Bluegrass Today correspondent, Jake Schepps, was seri-ously injured in a head-on collision heading home from RockyGrass on Saturday night. At press time, Bluegrass Today reported he was still in ICU, but was responsive and recovering.

Town Mountain are set to release their first offi-cial live album, Town Mountain: Live At The Isis, on August 19th, 2014.The concert was recorded in their hometown of Asheville, NC at Isis Music Hall. The album features live versions of previously released studio material including crowd favorites “Lawdog,” “Tarheel Boys” and the fiddle tune “Four Miles.”

http://www.internationalcountrymusic.org/

http://www.internationalcountrymusic.org/

http://www.jakeschepps.com/

standing o!


industry neWs

Ralph Stanley has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Stanley will be inducted formally into the Academy at its headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts on Oct. 11. The Academy was found-ed in 1870 to recognize America’s foremost “thinkers and doers.”

Jesse McReynolds celebrated his 85th birthday on July 13 in Gallatin, TN with a lively gathering at Jesse’s farm, the Pick Inn, and there was no shortage of tributes from Jesse’s colleagues, neighbors and friends: Homer Bradley (the unofficial “Mayor of Cairo”), WSM announcer Ed-die Stubbs, fiddle-player Jim Buchanan, Opry stars Jeannie Seely and Jan Howard, Carl Jackson, banjo-player Mike Scott, Larry Stephen-son, Del McCoury and Sam Bush. They “roasted” McReynolds, who was praised for his sense of humor, his mentorship of other artists, his contributions to bluegrass music and, most of all, his sincere and kind personality.

Corbin Hayslett, a student at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and an instructor at MECC’s Mountain Music School has won the Ortho-phonic Joy Music Contest. The contest was a search to find one artist or band to join Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited, a reimagining of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions, the groundbreaking recordings that continue to inspire artists around the world, produced by IBMA Board Member Carl Jackson.

Association assertions


industry neWs

The Minnesota Duet Champion-ship will take place Friday, August 29 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the West End Market Stage at the Minnesota State Fair. The Min-nesota Flatpicking Guitar Cham-pionship takes place at the same place on Saturday, August 30, also from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Registration is $25, and space is limited. Find information and register at www.minnesotabluegrass.org.

Nominations are open for the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association Board of Direc-tors, of which its elections are held in November. Send nomina-tions to Election Nomination Chair Martha Galep at [email protected] by Oct. 1, 2014.

Walnut Valley Association’s Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas takes place Sept. 17-21. Sign up to compete in seven instrumental championships including: International Autoharp, International Finger Style Guitar, National Mountain Dulcimer, Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle, National Flat Pick Guitar, National Hammer Dulcimer; National Blue-grass Banjo.

In Remembrance

Sound engineer and producer Ronald “Ronnie” Freeland passed away from a long illness on July 20 in Baltimore, MD. He was a great mentor, friend, and honored member of the worldwide bluegrass community.

Pat Smith, father of The Grascals’ bass player Terry Smith, and bluegrass songwriter/artist Billy Smith, passed away on Friday, July 26 in North Carolina. Smith was also the former husband of bluegrass/country music journalist, songwriter & television personality Hazel Smith.

http://www.minnesotabluegrass.org

http://www.minnesotabluegrass.org




From the Executive Director’s deskNeW memBers: July

Michael Creed

Sarah Hale

Rosanna Patz

Nancy Noel May

Dee Carter

Jack Turney

Lynne Lawrence

Karl Faser Jr

Kurt Dressler

Mechelle Mullins

Kathryn Burton

Diane Mckoy

James Greiner

Scott Mccarty

Gerald Via

Kenneth Larmer

Melissa De Cloet

Daryl Rodgers

Katherine Oates

Richard Hardy

Marcus Paul Nash

Cynthia Smith Mabe

Sandra Bortree

Terry Brewer

Norm Hoover

Raymond L Tims

Timothy Tron

Nathan R Phillips

Frank Arico

Vivan Carnes

William Lawrence

Lloyd Baldwin

Robert Goodwin

Judith Goodwin

Rick Garner

Adam Taylor

Kathy S Pyrtle

Kentucky Center For

Traditional Music

Tom Keeney

Sierra Hull

Daniel Patrick

Lou Humphreys

Trevor Jolly

Gregg Turbeville

Kathy Nichols

Bailey Coe

John Denniston

Lisa Bottomley

Brandon Mann

Matt Leadbetter

Ray Griff

John Landers

Jenny Leigh Obert

Rich Crist

Lisa Bushman

Christine Pasquet

Timothy Harrison

Amanda Cook

Charles Cain

Lisa Pyrtle

Gary Strong

James Adams

Charlotte Scott

Elizabeth Rosas

Scott Brannon

James R Marsden

Mark Sterling

Austyn Howell

Daniel Richardson

Ashley Hinson

Robbyn Chiles

Dakoda Hensley

Katie Gillon

Patrice Stockhoff

Chris Schaffer

International Bluegrass August 2014

Documents

Transcript of International Bluegrass August 2014