Minnesota Bluegrass July

MBOTMA Hot Line(to subscribe and for other information)612-285-9133 or 800-635-3037 [email protected]. Box 16408, Mpls, MN 55416www.minnesotabluegrass.org Twitter: @mnbluegrass Facebook: minnesotabluegrass

MBOTMA Board of DirectorsPresident: Peter Albrecht, [email protected] President: Jana Metge, 952-996-6490, [email protected]: Sandi Pidel Secretary: Mary DuShaneBoard Members: Term expires 2015: Marilyn Bergum, Gary Germond, Greg Landkamer, Quillan RoeTerm expires 2016: Alan Jesperson, Philip Nusbaum, David SmithYouth Representative: Sarah CagleyFor meeting minutes and other Board business, go to: minnesotabluegrass.org/as_Board

MBOTMA StaffExecutive Director: Jed Malischke, 715-635-2479Administrative Assistant: Bea Flaming, 612-285-9133

Minnesota BluegrassEditor: JoAnne Makela, [email protected]: Sarah Cagley, John Chabot, Bob Dodd, Ann Iijima, Jed Malischke, Phil Nusbaum, Rina RossiComing Up: Loretta Simonet, Pam Bowers, John BrandbergY’All Come: Bill LindroosWordmark: Katryn ConlinPhotography: Steve Chollar, Heidi Herzog, Michelle PerrinCover image: V. Paul Virtucio

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Minnesota Bluegrass is published monthly by The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association™, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation, P.O. Box 16408, Mpls, MN 55416. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without writ-ten permission from the publisher. The publisher is not respon-sible for the loss or return of unsolicited photos, recordings, or manuscripts. ©2015 Minnesota Bluegrass. All rights reserved. ISBN 0891-0537.

Thank you, MBOTMA members

Sustaining:Rod & Barb AndersonPaul AshworthFred BoyerMark & Erdyne BriereBill & Ann BushnellSusan Christensen-WichmannDan & Marilyn CookBrian CornellBob & Vicki DalagerHal DavisDoug DuncanMary DuShaneMatt EdwardsGarry & Linda ElfstrandJennifer FaulknerMark & Kathleen FisherNathan Fjeld Jim FranczykWarren GumesonTimothy & Ginger HaalandMary & Fred Harms James HeligThomas Hollenhorst &

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July 2015Vol. 41No. 6Newsstand: $3Subscription: $35

Donald JacquesChris Juettner Alan & Geriann KaganMatthew Kaster Jim LallyLloyd & Beverly LaPlantDavid LeeJames LeeSteve & Elaine LeVasseurBob LundeenRudy & Jeanne MartiBill MerrillChad MezeraBen MonkJames NatwickDennis & Jan O’Brien Dominic OrricoBob OstlundDan RobinsonLeo & Ann RosensteinRick SandersMarty & Carol SchirberWendy SchoenHowell SmithLynn & Carolyn ThorsonR. & Elizabeth VaughanDavid & Bonnie WarnerMark & Danelle Wolf

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Membership as of May 1, 2015: 1,015

Four Time IBMA Event Of The Year Nominee!

August 6th-9th, 2015 - El Rancho Mañana Richmond MN, 30 Minutes W of St Cloud (I-94 Exit #153 at Avon, 9 mi S on County 9)

A HOT RIZE REUNION featuring RED KNUCKLES & THE TRAILBLAZERS and IBMA’s Entertainers Of The Year and Vocal Group Of The Year BALSAM RANGE

plus Red Molly, Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, The Jumpsteady Boys, Bucking Mules, The Bootlickers, Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, New Riverside Ramblers, Fish Heads, Bernie King & The Guilty Pleasures, High 48s, The Good Intentions, Borderstone, Ivory Bridge, Porcupine Creek

Beautiful Main Stage Shaded Seating Area 35 Hours of Concerts Nightly Dances Instrument Showcases Children’s Activities Over 20 Workshops Plenty of Campground Jam Sessions 30 Merchant & Food Booths

Campground with Showers & Beach Shuttle Transportation A Welcome & Safe Environment Kids Are Free!

Come for the Day – Camp for the Weekend – Call for Brochure

Thu-Sun Camping Package (per person) Admission Thu thru Sun plus unimproved camping Thu, Fri, & Sat nights, $95 Gate, $85 Adv, $75 Member Adv

Single Day Tickets (per person) Admission one day, no camping, $20 Thu or Sun Gate, $30 Fri or Sat Gate, $25 Adv (any day) $20 Member Adv (any day)

800-635-3037 www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org

Presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association and made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

5July 2015

MinnesotaBluegrass.org

Cover

Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival 2015 Volume 2: Old-Time, AnytimeBy Ann Iijima

As MBOTMA celebrates its 40th Anniversary, the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival will trace our music from its roots to its newest branches, from veteran performers to the new kids on the block. Last month, we described the great bluegrass offer-ings. This month, Minnesota Bluegrass focuses on the festival’s old-time/tradi-tional offerings, including both music and dance. In August, the spotlight will be on related musical genres and the wide variety of programs available off the Main Stage, including workshops, showcases, and programs for the kids.

Jumpsteady BoysThe Jumpsteady Boys are four of the

most well respected players of traditional music in the international roots scene today: Mike Compton, Bruce Molsky, Joe Newberry, and Rafe Stefanini. Whether playing a blistering fiddle tune, singing an a cappella ballad, or showcasing an original song, this group epitomizes “global folk” music. Originally formed to represent the American string band tradition at the Australian National Folk Festival in Canberra, the Jumpsteady Boys made their North American debut at the 2011 Celtic Colours Festival in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Bruce Molsky is “one of America’s premier fiddling talents” (Mother Jones) and a twice Grammy-nominated artist. On the road more than 200 days a year, Bruce tours the world solo, with Andy Irvine and Dònal Lunny’s Mozaik, as a trio with Aly Bain and Ale Möller, with The Old-Time Kozmik Trio (Darol Anger and Rushad Eggleston), and in a new trio with Tony Trischka and Michael Daves. He also recently recorded 1865 Songs of Hope and Home from the American Civil War, a new collaborative CD of Civil War era music with the a cappella quartet Anonymous 4. With seven solo CDs behind him, the on-line magazine No Depression called Bruce’s

latest solo CD, If It Ain’t Here When I Get Back, “an album from an absolute master.”

Mandolinist Mike Compton is a prolific composer and has made an indelible mark within the greater old-time and bluegrass music communities. A long-time collab-orator with the late and highly regarded John Hartford, Mike is a member of the Hartford String Band, the Nashville Bluegrass Band, and has toured and recorded with rock singer-songwriter Elvis Costello. A multiple Grammy Award winner, Mike treasures his mem-ories with mentor Bill Monroe.

Joe Newberry is best known for his powerful and innovative banjo playing, but is also an award-winning guitar-ist, fiddler, and singer. In addition to his work with the Jumpsteady Boys, Joe plays in a duo with Mike Compton and with string band Big Medicine. A respected session player, Joe’s song-writing work regularly appears on the bluegrass charts. A Missouri native, Joe teaches and performs at festivals at home in North Carolina and abroad.

Multi-instrumentalist Rafe Stefanini’s keen interest in American music was strong enough to make him move from his native Italy to the U.S. in the 1980s. Rafe established the Wildcats with Carol Elizabeth Jones and Stefan Senders, and together the trio toured Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei for the United States Information Agency. Later Rafe, along with Bruce and Dirk Powell, formed the L-7s, a trio of power fiddlers. When Beverly Smith replaced Dirk three years later, Big Hoedown was born. Big Hoedown toured as far as Finland and Germany,

and has been featured on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion.

The Bucking MulesLike the creature that inspires their

name, the Bucking Mules can buck, snort, and throw down some traditional old-time music from the South. Drawing from a deep study of old 78s and visits with an older generation of musicians, the band distills the essence of the tra-dition into driving performances that appeal to contemporary audiences. Their old-time sounds have won over audi-ences at some of the biggest bluegrass and folk festivals around.

With roots in Tennessee and Virginia, and experience on stages all over the country, the band knows how to bust down on a fiddle tune, how to get square dancers moving, and how to belt out a beautiful old song. The band is composed of some of the most exciting and accomplished players in the genre today. Together and individually, they are experienced and engaging perform-ers. Their sets combine sizzling fiddle and banjo-based tunes with traditional songs in harmony.

Joseph Decosimo (fiddle, banjo) was raised on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau and is keeping the old-time music traditions of his region alive. In

Four Time IBMA Event Of The Year Nominee!

August 6th-9th, 2015 - El Rancho Mañana Richmond MN, 30 Minutes W of St Cloud (I-94 Exit #153 at Avon, 9 mi S on County 9)

A HOT RIZE REUNION featuring RED KNUCKLES & THE TRAILBLAZERS and IBMA’s Entertainers Of The Year and Vocal Group Of The Year BALSAM RANGE

plus Red Molly, Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, The Jumpsteady Boys, Bucking Mules, The Bootlickers, Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, New Riverside Ramblers, Fish Heads, Bernie King & The Guilty Pleasures, High 48s, The Good Intentions, Borderstone, Ivory Bridge, Porcupine Creek

Beautiful Main Stage Shaded Seating Area 35 Hours of Concerts Nightly Dances Instrument Showcases Children’s Activities Over 20 Workshops Plenty of Campground Jam Sessions 30 Merchant & Food Booths

Campground with Showers & Beach Shuttle Transportation A Welcome & Safe Environment Kids Are Free!

Come for the Day – Camp for the Weekend – Call for Brochure

Thu-Sun Camping Package (per person) Admission Thu thru Sun plus unimproved camping Thu, Fri, & Sat nights, $95 Gate, $85 Adv, $75 Member Adv

Single Day Tickets (per person) Admission one day, no camping, $20 Thu or Sun Gate, $30 Fri or Sat Gate, $25 Adv (any day) $20 Member Adv (any day)

800-635-3037 www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org

Presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association and made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Jumpsteady Boys: Mike Compton, Bruce Molsky, Joe Newberry, and Rafe Stefanini. Photo: Heidi Herzog

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high school and college, he sought out the older fiddlers and banjo players of his region, learning as much as he could from them. Rather than presenting the music as a museum piece, he injects new life into the old tunes.

He has shared his driving old-time music at festivals, camps, and venues throughout the country. His fiddling has won blue ribbons at some of the most prestigious fiddle contests in the South, including the Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival. A dedicated teacher of the music, he served on the faculty in East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies Program. Festivalgoers may recognize him from this year’s Bluff Country Gathering in Lanesboro, Minnesota, where he performed and led a number of exciting workshops.

Luke Richardson’s (banjo, har-monica) music rolls with the arresting and subtle beauty of the hills around his family’s farm in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. With an intuitive ability to match the fiddle, Luke manages to push the music along with grace, ease, and remarkable drive. His banjo playing has earned him a National Old Time Banjo Championship and a fistful of blue rib-bons. Currently residing in Brooklyn, he is an in-demand old-time musician.

Karen Celia Heil (guitar), a fixture in the west coast old-time scene, began her pilgrimages to the Appalachian Southeast about a decade ago in order to immerse herself in the music of the

region. She is a guitarist with a fiddler’s brain and has the rare ability to drive a tune while laying out the perfect foundation for a fid-dler. Karen’s emotive vocals add to the Bucking Mules’ distinctive sound. As an accomplished singer, fiddler, guitarist, and bass player, she has added energy to perfor-mances and dances on both the east and the west coasts.

Joe “Joebass” Dejarnette (bass), originally from Madison County, Virginia,

has been playing and record-ing traditional American

music for more than 10 years. As a founding member of The WIYOS, he has toured the U.S., Canada, and Europe, concluding in 2009 with 29 dates on the Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson tour. He has performed at the Newport Folk Festival, Lincoln Center, the Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival, and many other notable venues. Joe’s distinctive bass playing, musical acumen, and joyous stage presence puts him in a category all his own. He resides in the mountains of Floyd, Virginia, and has a thriving business producing and engineering recordings for independent artists as well as for the prestigious labels Nonesuch, Signature Sounds, and Thrill Jocky Records.

In addition to performing on the MBOTMA Festival Main Stage, the Bucking Mules will conduct the pre-fes-tival Old-Time Band Camp, August 5 and 6. Students will learn the basics of old-time music as well as a few new tunes. They’ll receive instruction on their individual instruments, and gain experience playing with others, all in a relaxed, positive, and inclusive envi-ronment. The camp begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday and continues through 6 p.m. Thursday. The registration fee is $80 before July 15, and $95 after that date. Class size is limited to 12 students per instructor. For questions or to reg-ister call 800-635-3037 or email [email protected].

The BootlickersThe Bootlickers are a Minneapolis-

based old-time string band. They play tunes and songs from many regions of the country for concerts and square dances. This high-energy band will surely get your toes tapping. Check out their new CD, Bust Down, at bootlicker-stringband.com.

Lee Guthrie (fiddle, uke) got started playing old-time music in eighth grade when his dad brought a banjo home from an antique store. He learned to play with Pete Seeger’s book, How to Play the Five String Banjo. On the band’s website, Luke writes: “Playing this music has changed my life in the best way, and I’m having more fun than ever. There are too many musicians to name, both living and passed, who influenced my playing and love of the music.”

AJ Srubas (fiddle, mandolin), from Green Bay, Wisconsin, has been playing fiddle since he was a young boy. He grew up in a musical family playing mostly Irish music. In his late teens, he devel-oped interest in old-time, bluegrass, and Cajun fiddle. Currently, he teaches fiddle at the Center for Irish Music and plays regularly with The Bootlickers, New Riverside Ramblers, and The Two Tap Trio.

Aaron Tacke (banjo) is from Fargo, North Dakota. He completed both the violin and guitar building and repair programs at Southeast Technical College in Red Wing. Along with playing with the Bootlickers, Aaron works part-time at Peace Coffee and is getting his own instrument company up and running.

The Bucking Mules

7July 2015


Arne Pelto (guitar) is originally from the Iron Range in Northern Minnesota. When he moved to the Twin Cities area, he was introduced to old-time music. Here, he met his future band-mates amidst a thriving square dance and fiddle music community. When he isn’t tearing it up on guitar with The Bootlickers, he works as a gardener and groundskeeper at Camrose Hill Flower Farm. Arne is also a champion knife fighter.

Rina Rossi (bass) hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she learned to play bass in the high school orchestra. While attending college at Macalester in St. Paul, she discovered her love of old-time fiddle music and dance. She started dancing with the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers. She is still a member of the Geese and plays fiddle in their band. On top of being a great singer, bass player, and fiddler, Rina is a sought-after dance caller. She has called all around the

We hope you can join us in the Dance Tent this August for some of the many opportunities to learn about and partic-ipate in traditional dance styles. From square dancing to two-stepping, we have a lot of opportunities for good times.

Friday, August 77 p.m. Old Time Barn Dance with the Bootlickers and caller Sarah York

The Bootlickers will start the week-end off with some driving old-time tunes that will get your toes tapping. A MBOTMA member band, the Boots are regulars at the Monday Night Square Dance in Minneapolis and their love of playing for dancers is obvious. Sarah York from Port Wing, Wisconsin will be teaching and calling traditional square, circle, reel, and barn dances for the whole family. Sarah calls all over Wisconsin and Minnesota to dancers of all ages, and has a great collection of unusual dances to share. No experience or partner necessary.

8:45 p.m. Square Dance with the Bucking Mules and caller Rina Rossi

Don’t miss the chance to dance to this band! The Bucking Mules play some of the most energetic, fresh, and oh-so-lively old-time music you’ll hear today. Dancing to this band will be a highlight of the weekend. Rina Rossi will teach and call a variety of traditional square dances for anyone from first-time square dancers to long-time square dancers. Rina is a regular caller at the Monday Night Square Dance in Minneapolis, as well as calling for events around Minnesota and beyond. Again, no expe-rience or partner necessary. The great thing about square dancing is that as long as you can tell your right hand from your left, the caller will teach everything else you need to know before each dance.

The Bootlickers

Festival Dance Tent has fun for everyoneBy Rina Rossi

11 p.m. Blues/Honkey Tonk/“Blues-grass” Dance with Bernie King and the Guilty Pleasures

Bernie King and the Guilty pleasures is a little bit blues, a little bit bluegrass, a little bit rock, and a little bit kitchen sink, a style of music that some fans have come to call “blues-grass.” Whatever you want to call it, now is your chance to move to it. Get your two-step or blues dancing on, or just freestyle and do your thing.

Saturday, August 812 p.m. Clogging Showcase and Workshop with the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers

The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers are a non-profit educational ensemble that has been teaching and performing Appalachian Clogging for over 30 years. Come sit up close and watch the Geese demonstrate some footwork and chore-ography, then push back the chairs and learn some beginning clogging steps.

Midwest and frequently calls at the Monday Night Square Dance at the Eagles Club in Minneapolis. Rina’s day job is to coordinate after school programs for Seward Montessori.

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Saturday, August 81 p.m. Square Dance Basics

Learn and practice some of the basic moves for square dancing—partner swings, alemandes, promenades, do-si-dos, and more. Or brush up on your basics if it’s been a while. Open to all ages.

2 p.m. It’s Polka time! Come enjoy a style of dance and

music that has become typical of the Midwest, thanks to the many German, Polish, and other polka-loving immi-grants that settled this region. Enjoy some local Minnesota polka music and celebrate this part of our heritage.

4 p.m. Cajun Dance Lesson with the New Riverside Ramblers

Learn the basics of Cajun dance. Karen Kleinspehn with the New Riverside Ramblers will introduce the Cajun two-step and waltz. It’s easy, fun and you’ll be dancing in no time. No experience needed; come get ready for the Cajun dance with the Ramblers at 11 p.m.

7:30 p.m. Barn Dance with Rooster Riot and caller Terrence Smith

Join caller Terrence Smith from Duluth in dancing for the whole family. Terrence has been calling dances in northern Minnesota and beyond for 20+ years and has been instrumental in creating a vibrant traditional music and dance scene in the northlands. Rooster Riot, the Wild Goose Chase Cloggers’ band, will lay down the dance tunes. No experience or partner necessary.

9 p.m. Old Time Square Dance with the Jumpsteady Boys

The fiddling of Jumpsteady Boys’ Rafe Stefanini and Bruce Molsky will keep you jumping—steadily—all the way to the Cajun dance. Come square dance to some of old-time music’s all-stars; it’s sure to be big fun. All dances will be taught and called, so no experience or partner is necessary. You don’t even need a fancy outfit, but feel free to wear one if you like.

11 p.m. Cajun Dance with the New Riverside Ramblers

The New Riverside Ramblers bring high-energy Cajun dance music from the prairies and bayous of south Louisiana up-river to Minnesota. Playing a mixture of driving two-steps, waltzes and blues, this band is meant for dancing. Come check out the new accordionist, twin fiddles and steel guitar. If you haven’t ever heard Cajun music, don’t miss this chance to enjoy a little bit of Louisiana right in your backyard.

Sunday, August 912 p.m. Dance Floor Tear Down Party

The hardworking MBOTMA com-mittee volunteers put together the dance floor for us each year, and would love your help taking it down and packing it away for next year. Come meet at the Dance Tent at noon and lend a hand.

The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers are backed by the band Rooster Riot, on stage at the 2015 Winter Bluegrass Weekend. Hear them in the Dance Tent at the August Festival. Photo: Steve Chollar

Bernie King and the Guilty Pleasures bring “blues-grass” and honky tonk to the dance tent Friday night.

New Riverside Ramblers

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11July 2015


Review

Sarah Mae and The Birkeland Boys is a Northern Minnesota family band that does NOT do an “anywhere but Minnesota in January tour.” Their debut CD, It’s Time, features an exceptional playlist of mostly original bluegrass, folk and gospel songs plus two cover tunes. It’s full of great numbers like “Derailed” in Libby, Montana (thanks, Amtrak), “Sawmill Man,” a reflective muse by David Norris about a man, his sawmill, and “the little town that grew out from his saw”; “Captain of Industry,” by Mike Birkeland and Bill Isles, is a universal message for dads everywhere; the blue-grass love song “Forever”; “Why Do Good Men Have to Grow Old?”—we’ve all been blessed, I’m sure, to know some-one like this; and a bluegrass biker song, “Two Wheels.”

The band features 15-year-old Sarah Mae Birkeland, who plays several instru-ments, including the violin and piano, but her favorite is the upright bass. Sarah is an accomplished musician and a master of her instrument and chosen style. She is an inspiration to all ages. At just over five feet, Sarah is dwarfed by her bass, but impresses audiences with her playing skills and adds enthusias-tic lead and harmony vocals. Sarah is lead singer on “Sawmill Man” and her own composition “Two Wheels.” She has affectionately named her bass “Al” (I think he rolls on two wheels). Sarah and her bass really get around, provid-ing the foundation for a good jam or a great show. In addition to playing in the family band that bears her name, she also performs with the Bill and Kate Isles Band, Porcupine Creek, Ditch Creek, and The Road Kill Boys.

Sixteen-year-old Derek Birkeland plays mandolin and fiddle, sings har-mony vocals, and has lead vocals on “Derailed,” “Lead Foot Jessie” and “Two Wheels.” Derek is a talented, well-rounded musician who is quickly building a reputation as a “Junior Jam Master.” If there’s a good jam going on, Derek will probably be there blending

in with his strong baritone voice and excellent musicianship. Derek likes the outdoors and earned the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of 15. He also is in the process of building his first hand-crafted guitar under the guidance of “Senior Jam Master” Tedd Williams. Derek is a past Minnesota Old-Time Fiddle Contest finalist and, like Sarah, plays in several bands.

Fourteen-year-old Adam Birkeland provides subtle res-onator guitar licks throughout the song “Lincoln County, USA” and through the rest of the album. The resonator guitar is Adam’s favorite instrument, which is perfect for his high-energy personality. He also picks a little six-string guitar and rolls, three-fingered style, on the banjo. Adam loves playing serious bluegrass with the family band and their friends. He also enjoys the outdoors and is a Boy Scout.

Mike Birkeland is the patriarch of the band (and the family), which makes him sound really old, but he’s not saying. Mike writes most of the family’s original music. His songs about faith, hope and family penetrate the soul.

The album features “roots music”—traditional bluegrass numbers and songs steeped in scripture with stories about the woes of life. Lloyd LaPlant, musician and maker of handcrafted instruments, says, “They knocked it out of the park. It really sounds great. I like every song.”

The making of this album called on a treasure trove of talent with song-writers David Norris (“Sawmill Man”), Tim Byrnes (“On The Fence”), and Bill Isles, who co-wrote with Mike the tunes “Forever” and “Captain of Industry.” I can’t mention Bill Isles without men-tioning his wonderful song “Hobos in The Roundhouse.” I had the pleasure of hearing Monroe Crossing cover the song at a concert in Little Falls, Minnesota on May 29. They did “Hobos in The Roundhouse” after telling a great story

about Bill Isles’ grandfather. Sounds like Bill is just as great a guy as his granddad, and the Birkeland family gives a spe-cial thanks to him: “Bill Isles made this album project work from start to finish. Words can’t express our appreciation. And also, a big thank you to Kate Isles for her encouragement.” Isles co-pro-duced and engineered the recording of It’s Time at his Little Daylight Studio near Carlton, Minnesota. The CD also features several musicians from Duluth, including Isles, Byrnes, Ken Gerard and Tedd Williams.

Last but not least, we all know that behind every great family is a great woman—Wendy Birkeland, mom and best all-round groupie.

It’s Time is an uplifting album and the product of many talented people. The songs are about God, family and friends.

Sarah Mae and The Birkeland Boys: It’s TimeBy John Chabot

Minnesota Bluegrass September 2015

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A series of house concerts this summer will feature some of the best folk, tradi-tional, and country acoustic musicians from the Midwest and beyond in an inti-mate rural setting. The concerts will take place on a small farm near Avalanche, WI, about 10 miles from Viroqua.

Hosting and curating the series is the old-time country duo, the Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers (www.sapsuckersmusic.com). “As musicians, we love house concerts,” says Nikki Grossman who forms the Sapsuckers with her partner Joe Hart. “The performers and the audience get a chance to interact in a really different way than any other type of venue. We wanted to capture that feeling in our own farmhouse.”

The concert series kicked off on June 19 with Patrick Harison, an accom-plished accordionist who leads the tradi-tional, pre-war jazz band Patty and the Buttons and performs nationally with various orchestras (more at patrickhari-son.blogspot.com); and Colin O’Brien, a seasoned performer of banjo, fiddle, guitar, and percussive dancing (colingo-brien.com).

The setting for the concerts is a beautiful, 150-year-old farmstead in the valley of the West Fork of the Kickapoo River, a mile from Avalanche, WI. The area is a popular destination for bicy-clists, fisherman, hikers, campers, and motorcycle clubs, all drawn by the scenic beauty, rural peace, Amish crafts and goods, and high concentration of small-scale family farms. Numerous camping and B&B options are within a short drive of the farm.

Confirmed performers include harmony duo Bill and Kate Isles and acclaimed country/folk singer Barbara Jean (Friday, August 14); Gypsy jazz/Balkan act the Resonant Rouges and nationally known singer/songwriter and bicycle enthusiast Ben Weaver (Friday, September 18); and Balkan/eastern-European singers Sarah Brett and Friends and folk/blues legend Papa John Kolstad (Friday, October 16). More

acts, including local musicians, will be announced as confirmed.

“Part of the idea of the series is to connect some of the great musicians we’ve met on the road with local audi-ences here at home,” says Hart. “Folks can come out to the farm in a very low pressure environment and really get to know these folks and their music well.”

The location of the concert series is S3947 County Road S (about 10 miles from Viroqua, WI; 30 miles from La Crosse, WI; 90 miles from Madison, WI; and 200 miles from Minneapolis/St. Paul). Each concert will be held outdoors (weather permitting) and feature two performers, beginning at 7 p.m. Cost is $10 per adult (children under 12 free). Concessions will be available. Carry-ins

“Folk on the Farm” concert series in Viroqua are welcome, but guests are requested to carry out recyclables. The concerts will be held on private property. Owners assume no risk.

The Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers are a brand-new take on old-time country; they perform traditional old-time fiddle tunes and sing tight harmonies, includ-ing country, vaudeville, hits of the 1920s and 1930s, and original songs and tunes. The Sapsuckers (Nikki Grossman, guitar, fiddle, and vocals; Joe Hart, guitar and vocals) perform frequent concerts, as well as square and contra dances, and they are known for the light touch and sense of humor they bring to their per-formance. Their second album, Ocooch Mountain Home, has been widely praised by traditional-music critics.

13July 2015


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Once a month, lovers of bluegrass and old-time music can meet and listen to bands from their community when the Mountain Music Round-up takes over the stage of the Underground Music Cafe in Falcon Heights. The Cafe provides a welcoming atmosphere for both listeners and performers. There is ice cream for the kids, coffee for the sleepy, small plates for the hungry, and beer and wine for the thirsty.

Hosted by Sarah Cagley, so far the Round-up has presented Seldom Herd, the Gritpickers, Blue Yodel No. 9, the Split-Shot Sinkers, the Biscuit Boys, the Flying Shoes, and the Porch Pickers.

The July 28 showcase features Bob & Lynn Dixon.

Bob and Lynn play old-timey tunes and songs inspired by the Carter Family. With tight harmonies and simple instru-mentation of guitar, fiddle and mando-lin, the Dixons have serenaded the Twin Cities and the Midwest for almost 40 years. You may have caught them at the MBOTMA Kickoff playing on the main stage Saturday afternoon.

Bob and Lynn started attending MBOTMA festivals back when they were held in Zimmerman, Minnesota. Amidst

all the mosquitoes and flying insects, the old-timey bug, an illness that is near impossible to recover from, bit them.

Music has always been a part of Bob and Lynn’s lives, bringing them together during their col-lege years in a music theory class. From there they started singing and playing music together and still haven’t stopped. They say “those break-up songs and songs of lost love keep us together.” Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind” is one of those songs they’ve sung from the beginning and remains a favor-ite for both Bob and Lynn and their fans today.

You can hear Bob and Lynn Dixon at Sarah Cagley’s Mountain Music Round-up as well as at farmers markets around the Twin Cites. Keep track of what they are up to on their website: bobandlynndixon.com. They have copies of their most recent record, Blue-Eyed Boatman, available in person or on cdbaby.com. This record is a collection of old-time songs about lost love, trains, cowboys, outlaws and hard times. They begin work on their next CD this fall.

If you’d like to perform at the Mountain Music Round-up contact Sarah Cagley, [email protected]. Visit sarahcagleymusic.com to see who is playing next and to sign up for the email list.

Mountain Music Round-upFourth Tuesday of the month7–8:45 p.m.Underground Music Cafe1579 Hamline Ave.Falcon Heights, MN

—submitted by Sarah Cagley

July Mountain Music Round-up to feature Bob & Lynn Dixon

10:30 Church Service With music by Mary Lou and the Rusty Strings

11:30am–6:00 pm Music

Also at the Scott County Fair on Sunday July 26th: Draft Horse Show (largest in the Midwest) 4 & 8 Hitches 1:00 pm Miracle of Birth—see births of calves, piglets, sheep and kid goats Variety of other entertainment

Check Scott County Fair website in June for exact schedule---scottcountyfair.com

Roe Family Singers

Includes: banjo, autoharp, guitar, Appalachian clogging, good-time, old-time hillbilly band, sounds from barn-dances, fiddle pulls, and county fairs with the rock & roll passion of youth

Blue Drifters Duet

Phil Nusbaum and Steve Howard sure know how to pick a mean guitar. They play a mix of bluegrass, blues, and jazz.

The High 48’s

Winners: Rocky Grass Band Competition, Lyons, CO First place, Minnesota State Duet Championship

Blue Grass Festival Scott County Fair Sunday July 26, 2015

15July 2015


10:30 Church Service With music by Mary Lou and the Rusty Strings

11:30am–6:00 pm Music

Also at the Scott County Fair on Sunday July 26th: Draft Horse Show (largest in the Midwest) 4 & 8 Hitches 1:00 pm Miracle of Birth—see births of calves, piglets, sheep and kid goats Variety of other entertainment

Check Scott County Fair website in June for exact schedule---scottcountyfair.com

Roe Family Singers

Includes: banjo, autoharp, guitar, Appalachian clogging, good-time, old-time hillbilly band, sounds from barn-dances, fiddle pulls, and county fairs with the rock & roll passion of youth

Blue Drifters Duet

Phil Nusbaum and Steve Howard sure know how to pick a mean guitar. They play a mix of bluegrass, blues, and jazz.

The High 48’s

Winners: Rocky Grass Band Competition, Lyons, CO First place, Minnesota State Duet Championship

Blue Grass Festival Scott County Fair Sunday July 26, 2015

The Bluegrass Review in Minnesota Check www.bluegrassreview.com for a complete station list.

Station Day Time

KLQP-FM, 92.1 Madison Monday 8 PM

KMSU-FM, 89.7 Mankato; 91.3 Austin Sunday 10 AM

KBEM-FM, 88.5 Minneapolis Saturday 11 AM

KSRQ-FM, 90.1 Thief River Falls Sunday 11 AM

KQAL-FM, 89.5 Winona Saturday 9 AM

KDDG-FM, 105.5 Albany Saturday 9 PM

WTIP-FM, 90.7 Grand Marais Thursday 10 PM

KUMD-FM, 103.3 Duluth Saturday 4 PM

KRWC-AM, 1360 Buffalo Sunday 5 PM

KOJB-FM, 90.1 Cass Lake Sunday 6 PM

KSCR-FM, 93.5 Benson Sunday 6 AM

Bluegrass Saturday MorningBy Phil Nusbaum

The Local SceneWho’d have thought that Minnesota would be home to so many bluegrass and old-time musicians playing styles that originally came from the south? Especially after World War II, radio and recordings helped spread the word about bluegrass and old-time music. People travelled much more than previously and south-erners brought their music with them when they migrated to northern cities for work. The combination of recordings, media and travel gave people the ability to learn about and learn to play the various old-time and bluegrass styles.

When you hear bands play at really high levels, regardless of where they are from, it represents a type of achievement that should be acknowledged. We’ve been fortunate over the past few months that local bands have released some great new CDs that I have enjoyed introducing to radio listeners. The Bootlickers put out a set of fiddle-based string band music for one. The newest Roe Family Singers CD continues their unique approach to string band playing and includes both originals and centuries-old Child ballads. A few months ago Ivory Bridge put out a fine new CD. And I am still encouraging folks to listen to The Lowest Pair CD, for it showcases the most restrained string playing I’ve heard.

These groups all have singular approaches to playing that are only possible when there is a musical fermentation taking place. That of course is what is happening in our territory. You can plug into the newest music and old favorites through our broadcasts on KBEM and by going to live shows. The MBOTMA August festival also is an excellent opportunity to see and hear what is going on. There will be musical approaches a-plenty in evidence on stage. And by listening to jam sessions, you can tune into a feature of the bluegrass culture that gives it an elevated level of cool.

Simply going to the stage shows at the August festival will be its own reward. Last fall, the Hot Rize show really lifted me up. I thought it was the best Hot Rize show I’ve ever seen, and I’m looking for more of the same this August when they head-line the main stage. I’m also looking forward to Balsam Range, a great independent group. Many of their songs have been featured on the Bluegrass Review, such as “Somebody Else’s Dreams,” a lament about working for someone other than your-self —a perceptive type of songwriting.

Business SupportThe Bluegrass Review is supported by a combination of grants and business supporters. To promote your business locally, statewide, or nationally through the Bluegrass Review, contact Phil Nusbaum (651-245-1527; [email protected]). For promotion through Bluegrass Saturday Morning, your contact is Kevin Barnes (612-668-1735; [email protected]).

Bluegrass Review supporters• Cooperstands instrument stands, www.cooperstand.com • Hoffman Guitars www.hoffmanguitars.com (hand crafted Hoffman guitars, authorized Martin repairs)• John Waddle Violins www.waddleviolins.com (dealer of international & domestic, new & old violins, bows, cases)• Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association www.minnesotabluegrass.org (membership organization supporting bluegrass experiences)

Weekly PlaylistsBluegrass Review playlists are located at www.bluegrassreview.com. Just use the “playlists” link you’ll find at the top of the page. Then click on “archives.”

Bluegrass Saturday Morning playlists are located at www.jazz88fm.com.

The Bluegrass Review is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Attention All BandsIf you want to sell your music,

you need a good band. If you want to sell your band,

you need good smiles!

Lloyd “Doc” Wallin, D.D.S. Cosmetic DentistryBurnsville, MN 55337 952-892-5050

(Free Consultation for MBOTMA Members)

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BLUEGRASS BANDSAlternate Route, Jerry Knopik, 651-208-5565, [email protected] Alzen Family, Brad Alzen, 715-749-3977, [email protected] Stevenson & Highwater, Art Stevenson, 715-884-6996, [email protected] Picking, Jon Garon, 612-839-2277, [email protected]’s Hollow, Ian Kimmel, 507-766-3529, [email protected] Family Singers, Peter Benson,, [email protected] Juke & The Last Resort, Mark Jukich, 218-390-7342, [email protected] Boys, Daniel Fish, 763-434-2734, [email protected] Groove, David Smith, 952-974-5121, [email protected] Hazard, Hannah Johnson, 651-500-0747, [email protected] Wolf, Shirley Mauch, 612-724-1482, [email protected], Ryan.Morgan, 715-781-2989, [email protected] River Ramblers, Marty Solmon, 218-850-8715, [email protected] Fever, Jeanie Wyttenbach, 507-635-5625, [email protected] Creek Bluegrass, Tom Monsen, 952-466-2089, [email protected] Ridge, Mark Clark, 319-389-1535, [email protected] Lester, Lincoln Potter, 651-483-0469, [email protected] Kimmel & Co, Dick Kimmel, 507-359-1163, [email protected] Line Bluegrass, Darin Manson, 641-895-9401, [email protected] Fish Heads, Kim Curtis-Monson, 218-729-5326, [email protected], Harvey Riekoff, 262-497-3024, [email protected] Family, Anna Froemming, 320-453-2393, [email protected]

The Good Intentions, Chris Silver, 651-491-4013, [email protected] Family Band, Loren Halvorson, 507-345-7431, loren@ birchcovesoftware.comHand Picked Bluegrass, Joe Cronick, 715-966-6463, [email protected] High 48s, Eric Christopher, 651-271-4392, [email protected] Bridge, Jim Tordoff, 612-759-5987, [email protected], Jed Malischke, [email protected] Kalisch Family, Sandy Kalisch, 507-744-3348, [email protected] Wilkie’s Dream, Robbi Podrug, 612-562-8402, [email protected]’s Countrymen, Lorn Schultz, 715-495-5275, [email protected] King’s Highway, Eddy Van Pamhorst, 807-630-9914, gemvan@ tbaytel.netThe Kingery Family, Christy Kingery, [email protected] Lonesome Tradition, Tim Roggenkamp, 218-568-5559, [email protected] Long Shots, Sophie Galep, 715-233-0181, [email protected] Time Gone, Ben Manning, 651-388-7383, [email protected] Kreitzer Band, Mark Kreitzer, 612-724-7334, [email protected] Middle Spunk Creek Boys, Al Jesperson, 612-727-2489, [email protected] Blue, Kelton Parrish, 651-697-0209, [email protected] Crossing, Art Blackburn, 763-213-1349, [email protected] Man’s String Band, Nic Hentges, 612-387-0196, [email protected] Lights Bluegrass, Mary Campbell, 320-679-3094, [email protected] Posse, Arlette Solom, 218-463-0710, [email protected] Family Band, Molli Ophoven, 218-327-2058, [email protected]

The Platte Valley Boys, Ron Colby, 651-458-0804, [email protected] Creek, Sarah Birkeland, 218-624-1781, [email protected], Bonnie Hallett, 320-485-3310, [email protected] of the Prairie, Sarah Cagley, [email protected] River Band, Chuck Lahr, 563-927-2457, [email protected] Bog Stompers, David Darnell, 218-260-6546, [email protected] Mae & The Birkeland Boys, Wendy Birkeland, 218-624-1781, [email protected] Bluegrass Band, MJ Moravec, 507-990-6456, [email protected] Grass, Katy Valine, 651-982-0599, [email protected] Street, Sherri Leyda, 763-972-2341, [email protected] Stringsmiths, Chris Landstrom, 715-671-3772, [email protected] Junction, Karen Radford, 612-623-0261, [email protected], David Anderson, 952-474-0981, [email protected] Woodpicks, Joel Kezar, 218-681-2148, [email protected]

OLD-TIME STRINGBANDSBob & Lynn Dixon, Lynn Dixon, 612-377-6819, [email protected] Bovee, 507-498-5452, [email protected] Bootlickers, Irina Rossi, [email protected] Eelpout Stringers, Karl Burke, 651-784-7323, [email protected] Gritpickers, Rob Daves, 612-822-0085, [email protected] Benny, David Furniss, 651-699-0557, [email protected] Roe Family Singers, Quillan Roe, 612-599-0266, [email protected] River Ramblers, Eric Hatling, 715-772-4421, [email protected]

MBOTMA Member Bands

19July 2015


Tickwood String Band, Doug Wells, 218-736-4469, [email protected] Tune Jerks, Bob Douglas, 651-778-1395, [email protected] Goose Chase Cloggers, Jim Brooks, 612-419-4576, [email protected] The Other Eye, David Gourhan, 651-674-8668, [email protected]

RELATED GENRE BANDSAlabaster Falls, Julie Kaiser, 218-308-3131, [email protected] Banjo, Richard Swanson, 651-338-1349, [email protected] Sorrows, Robert Coleman, 612-801-4660, [email protected] Barley Jacks with Brian Wicklund, Brian Wicklund, 651-433-4564, [email protected] Flaming, Benji Flaming, 612-326-6521, [email protected] King & The Guilty Pleasures, Bernie King, 763-242-6943, [email protected] & Kate Isles, Bill Isles, 218-340-4404, [email protected] Gospel Trio, Timothy Johnson, 763-464-3481, [email protected] Yodel #9, John Whitehead, 651-641-0752, [email protected] Dad, John Soderberg, 612-441-7382, [email protected] Grass, Matt Johnson, 612-462-3546, [email protected]’s Jammers, Barb Carlson, 763-784-7881, [email protected] & Loretta, Loretta Simonet, 612-781-9537, [email protected] Cajun Band, Doug Lohman, 612-306-3490, [email protected] D Harvey & the Ultrasonic Duo, Donald Harvey, 608-781-3456, [email protected] North, Louise Wiermaa, 218-590-7654, [email protected] Flemming Fold, Sandra Flemming, 952-758-7522, [email protected] Legg Fish, Mick Garrett, 320-279-1868, [email protected]

The Gated Community, Sumanth Gopinath, 612-332-2006, [email protected] Tree, Bill Cagley, 651-636-9542, [email protected] Hacklewrappers, Mark Rubbert, 612-387-8189, [email protected] Klatt & The Cat Swingers, Jack Klatt, 612-270-9079, [email protected] & Rose Band, John Vincent, 218-766-1925, [email protected] Mueller & Friends, Karen Mueller, 612-270-4740, karen@ karenmueller.comMcInnis Kitchen, Susan Spencer, 218-391-4735, [email protected] Duo, Mary DuShane, 612-724-5341, [email protected] Moss Piglets, Ian Gamble, 651-644-0810, [email protected] Banjo, Ellen Stanley, 612-281-1364, [email protected] Triangle, Emily Wright, 612-275-4701, [email protected] Riverside Ramblers, Eric Mohring, 612-724-4687, info@ newriversideramblers.comNo Grass Limit, Sandi Millar, 763-439-3515, [email protected] Bees, Renee Vaughan, 651-295-4200, [email protected] and Then, Daniel Fish, 763-786-2524, [email protected] Near Sandstone, Michael McGregor, 612-998-8647, michael@ hellobooking.comPeter Ostroushko, 612-529-2884, [email protected]’ Up Steam, Dale Martell, 612-387-0152, [email protected] Chain, Boyd Blomberg, 218-370-0910, [email protected] Nelson, 651-353-3370, [email protected] Corner, Jeanne Marti, 763-559-7552, [email protected] R Dugan, Shawn Dugan, 952-737-7705, [email protected] Skin & Bones, Holle Brian, 612-822-6593, [email protected]

Sherry Minnick & Jackson Buxton, Sherry Minnick, 651-644-8682, [email protected] Skally Line, Frederick Keller, 320-245-6799, [email protected], Soren Olesen, 218-634-2800, [email protected] Sinkers, Chris Boone, 651-274-3054, [email protected] Beans, Chick Pea & Garbonzo, Roger Cuthbertson, 612-474-2476, [email protected] At Birth, Rick Anderson, 651-230-2431, [email protected] & L Schwartz & Family, Linda Schwartz, 701-659-3154, [email protected] Trio, Jay Forney, 218-681-8172, [email protected]’d Out, John Trelstad, 701-212-0015, [email protected] Hamilton, 612-508-0768, [email protected] Weasels, George Rothenberger, 612- 724-6911, [email protected] Bellied Sapsuckers, Joe Hart, 414-439-2004, [email protected]

Musicians Wanted: The Gloryland Gospel band seeks female soprano & alto, and bass guitar or lead guitar. We are an all-volunteer Music Ministry band that performs 2–3 times per month. Rehearsals Mondays, 6:30–7:30pm, in Eden Prairie. Check our website www.glorylandgospelband.com. Respond to [email protected].

LaPlant Instrumentsmaker of fine

mandolins & guitars

Buy - TradeSell - Repair

(stringed instruments)

31751 LaPlant RoadGrand Rapids, MN 55744

218-326-4456

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• Over 200 Hours of Acoustic Music on 4 Main Stages • 8 National and International Instrumental Contests • More Than $100,000 in Contest Prizes and Cash • Hands-On Workshops • Around-the-Clock Jam Sessions • 100+ Luthiers and Arts and Crafts Booths

[email protected] www.wvfest.com

Family-Friendly FestivalWell-policed grounds. No animals, beer, alcohol or drugs. No motorcycles in campgrounds due to noise.

Byron Berline Band

Marley’s Ghost

The Roys

Socks in the Frying Pan

The Steel Wheels

Della Mae

PerformersBill Barwick

Stephen BennettByron Berline Band

Roz BrownTom Chapin & Friends Cherokee Maidens &

Sycamore SwingCrary, Evans, & Spurgin

Della MaeDriven

Jacob JohnsonMarley’s Ghost

Andy MayJohn McCutcheon

Notorious FolkThe Paperboys

Barry PattonPrairie Rose Rangers

The RoysSocks in the Frying Pan

The Steel WheelsStill on the HillTheory Expats

Linda TiltonBarry Ward

and many more!

If you have not come to Winfi eld, you are missing one of America’s treasures!

44th Walnut Valley FestivalNational Flat-Picking ChampionshipsSeptember 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 2015

Winfi eld, Kansas

Over

$116,350in Instrument

Contest Prizes

Send form, payment and self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Walnut Valley AssociationPO Box 245 Winfi eld, KS 67156

For phone orders, call (620) 221-3250

For advance ticket prices, orders must be received by August 24. Thursday ($40) and Sunday ($15) only tickets available at the gate. Only full festival ticket holders allowed on grounds prior to September 17.

No refunds or exchanges. $35 will be charged for returned checks.

Save money and order tickets in advance! Advance tickets guarantee admission

Payment: ___Check ___Visa ___MC ___ DiscoverCardholder Signature Card # 3 or 4 digit Security Code Exp. Date /

Name Address City State ZipPhoneEmail

5-day Full Festival x $90 = $ $952-day Fri/Sat x $65 = $ $752-day Sat/Sun x $55 = $ $65Friday only x $35 = $ $45Saturday only x $35 = $ $50

$

After Aug. 24

Total

21July 2015


Sponsor

The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival has a new sponsor this year, Juice Plus and the Juice Plus Tower Garden. MBOTMA member Diane Gruber describes her family’s introduction to these two better living products and invites festival attendees to see for themselves by visiting their festival booth or attending one of their presentations during the festival on August 6–9 at El Rancho Mañana.—Jed Malischke

It was over a year ago when our daughter Holly approached my husband and me to try a product called Juice Plus. “It’s fruits and vegetables in a capsule,” she said. It was at her insistence that we agreed, but little did we know what a difference it was going to make.

So we decided to give it a shot. After all, we had seen major changes in the lives of her family already. At the time we were stressed out, exhausted, and living on caffeine and fast food due to our hectic lives. We had little or no expectations, but assumed it couldn’t hurt. After a few months I noticed we were not living as couch potatoes any-more, but were busily working out in the yard, enjoying our hobbies after work, and were still wide awake late into the evenings when we used to be exhausted by 6 p.m. every night.

We noticed other things, too. We were sleeping more soundly and waking up refreshed, energetic, and ready to face the day. Soon my husband Dale noticed his arthritis was better; that’s when we really started to take notice.

Then, Holly shared with me the Transform 30 challenge. This consisted of the capsules I was already taking, adding Juice Plus shakes, and removing processed foods from our diet. Things just kept getting better. The shakes were delicious, filling, and convenient. I kicked the caffeine habit and began craving foods that were actually good for me. Pretty soon my indigestion was

better and I was seeing small changes like my fingernails were stronger and healthier. But, as good as all this was, the best part was going to the doctor and getting much improved test results. We were sold! Instead of a pantry full of pro-cessed foods I now had a refrigerator full of organic fruits and vegetables.

Now my biggest problem was keeping stocked with good organically grown veggies. Enter the Tower Garden. We purchased a Tower Garden and began growing greens for salads and all my favorite herbs. Now we are moving on to tomatoes and zucchini. How wonderful it is to have fresh picked produce with-out all the weeding, time, and energy required for a traditional garden. Not to mention how much cheaper it is to grow my own foods than to buy them. It is the perfect compliment to our changing lifestyle.

So, what is the Tower Garden and how does it work? The Tower Garden® is a patented vertical aeroponic (without soil) food production system. Because of its vertical design, the system is space and energy efficient. The basic Tower Garden® unit has a 2.5' x 2.5' footprint, and uses modular stackable growing pots. With an 11-pot maximum config-uration, you can grow up to 44 plants per tower. Tower Gardens produce better tasting produce with a faster yield, and provide lots of fun. The plastic is several times thicker than almost all hydroponic products available on the market today. The Tower Garden® has a 25 gallon reser-voir at its base. This reservoir stores the ionic mineral nutrient solution. Inside the reservoir is a small, low-wattage submersible pump. The pump draws the nutrient solution up through the center of each pot all the way to the top of the Tower Garden®. From there, the nutrient solution drips through a special device that evenly cascades the solution over the plant roots. On the journey down the tower, the nutrient solution feeds the plants’ roots and becomes highly

oxygenated as gravity tumbles it back down to the reservoir. This process is continually repeated, providing fresh oxygen, water, and nutrients to the roots of the plants. Because of the design of the Tower Garden® system, the crops grow faster than they would in soil, and have to be harvested on a regular basis.

The Tower Garden is sold through a company called Juice Plus. It rounds out a line of products designed to help people get healthy. Their product line consists of whole food products in cap-sule or chewable form, shakes, and nutri-tion bars. Adding the Tower Garden is a fabulous way to provide your own home-grown organic food.

Juice Plus has been around since 1970. Their mission is to “inspire healthy living around the world”. Their clients range from urban farmers who supply their communities with healthy local food, to well-known industry leaders like NASA, Google, AT&T Park (home of the San Francisco Giants), and Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Many communities are now using Tower Gardens to feed the homeless. The cre-ator of the Tower Garden is Tim Blank, a hydroponics expert, and 12-year hydro-ponics veteran with the Walt Disney World Company.

If you are interested in the Tower Garden or any of our other products, come see us at our booth next to the Gathering Place at the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old Time Music Association Festival, August 6–9, or email [email protected]. —submitted by Diane Gruber

Our journey toward living healthy with the Tower Garden

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PRE-FESTIVAL INSTRUCTIONAL CAMPS Prior to the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival

at El Rancho Mañana Campground on August 6-9 BLUEGRASS JAM CAMP WITH THE HIGH 48S

The members of The High 48s, Eric Christopher (fiddle), Marty Marrone (guitar), Mike Hedding (mandolin), Rich Casey (standup bass), and Anthony Ihrig (banjo), will host a three-day bluegrass instructional jam camp.

This camp is for beginners and intermediate level players and will include individual instrument instruction plus group playing and harmony singing dynamics. The camp will culminate with a short stage presentation for all participants on Thursday evening. What a great way to start a festival weekend. Tuesday August 4th (after 6PM) through Thursday August 6th, 2015. $95 registration fee before July 15th, $120 after that date. Pre-registration advised. Class size limited to 12 students per instructor. For more information or to register call 800-635-3037 email to [email protected].

OLD-TIME STRINGBAND CAMP WITH THE BUCKING MULES

The members of The Bucking Mules will host a two day old-time band instructional camp on Wednesday August 5th and Thursday August 6th 2015. Joesph Decosimo (fiddle), Luke Richardson (banjo), Meredith McIntosh

(bass), and Karen Celia Heil (guitar) will be teaching intermediate and advanced level old-time musicianship. Students will learn some basics of old-time music as well as a few new tunes. They’ll receive instruction on their individual instrument, as well as some experience playing with others. And all in a relaxed, positive and inclusive environment. The camp begins at 9AM Wed and continues through 6PM Thurs. $80.00 registration fee before July 1, $95 after that date. Class size will be limited to twelve students per instructor. For questions or to register call 800-635-3037 email to [email protected].

For more information or to register: 1-800-635-3037 [email protected]

[email protected]

Tony Trischkawith his DeeringTenbrooks Saratoga Starbanjo

The Masters Choice

CHOOSE YOURS TODAY

23July 2015


607 W Lake St Minneapolis MN 612.827.1726

JulyFRI 10 – Pushing Chain SAT 11 – Porcupine Creek FRI 17 – Detroit Don King (blues band) SAT 18 – Colin O’Brien (in the spirit of John Hartford)

SAT 25 – Bernie King & The Guilty PleasuresFRI 31 – The Mosspiglets

AugustFRI 14 – The Afterwhile (original, folky blues)

SAT 15 – The Blue Drifters FRI 21 – Moxie Blue SAT 22 – Ivory BridgeSAT 29 – Tommy Bentz Band

Music starts at 8pmFind updates on Facebook

www.dulonospizza.com

A to G Music, Osseo, MN, 763-420-5500All Strings Attached, Minneapolis, MN, 763-542-9542Blackbirds Music, Minneapolis, MN, 612-326-5745Cadenza Music, St. Paul, MN, 651-644-3611Christian Eggert Violins Duluth, Duluth, MN, 218-726-1970Christian Eggert Violins Fargo, Fargo, ND, 701-280-7017Classical Guitars Etc., Apple Valley, MN, 952-322-1310Dave’s Guitar Shop, La Crosse, WI, 608-785-7704Eclipse Music, West St. Paul, MN, 651-451-8878Evans Music, White Bear Lake, MN, 651-429-0236Fein Stringed Instruments, St. Paul, MN, 651-228-0783The Guitar Shop, Rosemount, MN, 651-344-8177Haas Musical Instrument Repair, Arden Hills, MN, 651-631-8820Hobgoblin Music, Red Wing, MN, 651-388-8400Hoffman Guitars, Minneapolis, MN, 612-338-1079Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, Richfield, MN, 612-861-3308Kenny’s Music, Grand Forks, ND, 701-772-8670Kezar Music Company, Thief River Falls, MN, 218-681-2148Main Street Music, Elk River, MN, 763-441-1753Marguerite’s Music, Moorhead, MN, 218-233-7546Mr. Mark Music, Anoka, MN, 763-421-5455My Favorite Guitars, Naples, FL, 239-530-7425Nelson Music, Erhard, MN, 409-939-3062Piano Circle, Bloomington, MN, 952-881-6165The Podium, Minneapolis, MN, 612-767-2800Rhapsody Music, Mankato, MN, 507-387-2562Rocktown Music, Waite Park, MN, 320-257-7676Scheitel’s Music, Mankato, MN, 507-387-3881Simply Violins, New Hope, MN, 763-535-7055Tone Music, Owatonna, MN, 507-451-5196Waseca Music Co., Waseca, MN, 507-835-2980

Friends of Minnesota Bluegrass Music Stores

The King’s Countrymen

The Stringsmiths

The Seeger Boys

Cameron 10th Annual Bluegrass Festival

September 11, 12 and 13, 2015

Pioneer Village Museum1866 12½ Ave. (Cty. Hwy. W)Cameron, WI

Featuring:• Cabin Dwellers Reunion Band• Gospel Notes• Hand-Picked Bluegrass• High View• The John and Rose Band • The King’s Countrymen• Loose Ends• Midnight Coal Co.• The River City Ramblers• The Stringsmiths• More bands to be announced

Music begins Friday night at 5pmVendors, Jammin’, Workshops and more

For more information or directions contact Kathy Krug at (715) 458-0181Food and refreshments availableNo alcohol allowed

Gate Fee: Fri. $10, Sat. $15, and Sun. $10; $30 for weekend passRough camping is an additional $10 per day

www.LakesBluegrassFestival.com

Featuring the Best in National & Regional Bluegrass Bands!

[email protected]

August27-30, 2015

Pine River, MNCass County Fairgrounds

Festival ScheduleGates Open Tues., 3pm

Wed. Night Old Time Dance

Main StageThu. 5 - 11pm

Fri. & Sat. 11am - 11pmSun. 10am - 2pm

WorkshopsFri. & Sat. 10am -5pm

Plus camping, jamming, workshops, food & more!

10th Annual

Ticket Information & Purchase Available Online

Tommy Brown & County Line Grass

Special Consensus

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Nightflyer

The Sawtooth Brothers

The Lonesome Tradition

The Platte Valley Boys

9 Time IBMA Fiddler of the Year!

Winner of 2 IBMA Awards in ‘14!

Celebrating 10 Years!

Shaffers Lost 40The Berge FamilyPorcupine Creek

No Grass LimitSarah Mae & the Birkeland Boys

Becky Buller

Nominated for IBMA Songwriter of the Year ‘14!

Also Playing:

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Presented by MBOTMA

Bluegrass Jam Camp With The High 48s, Tuesday–Thursday, August 4–6, 2015, El Rancho Mañana, Richmond, MN. The members of The High 48s will host a three-day bluegrass instructional jam camp prior to the start of the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. This camp is for begin-ners and intermediate level players and will include individual instrument instruction plus group playing and harmony sing-ing dynamics. $95 registration fee before July 15, $120 after. For more information or to register: 800-635-3037 or [email protected]. Bucking Mules Old-Time Band Camp, Wednesday & Thursday, August 5–6, 2015, El Rancho Mañana, Richmond, MN. The members of The Bucking Mules will host a two-day old-time band instructional camp for intermediate and advanced level old-time musicians. Students will learn some basics of old-time music as well as a few new tunes. $80 regis-tration fee before July 15, $95 after. For more information or to register: 800-635-3037 or [email protected]. Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, August 6–9, 2015, El Rancho Mañana, Richmond, MN. Four-day outdoor music and camping festival with stage shows, dances, workshops, showcases, children’s shows, demonstra-tions, crafts, and good food in five stage areas. 2015 performers will include a Hot Rize Reunion with Red Knuckles & The Trailblazers, Entertainers & Vocal Group of the Year Balsam Range, Eddie & Martha Adcock with Tom Gray, Red Molly, The Jumpsteady Boys, The Bucking Mules, and many more. $20 to $30 daily at the gate or $85 for all four days in advance includ-ing camping ($79 before March 1). Additional discounts for MBOTMA members. For information or tickets call 800-635-3037 or visit www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org.

Harvest Jam Acoustic Music Experience, November 20–22, 2015, Marriott Minneapolis West Hotel, 9960 Wayzata Blvd, St. Louis Park. 10th annual event will feature stage shows Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning. The Race For A Place Band Contest on Saturday, the Saturday Banquet Dinner, Kip’s Live Open Mic in Kip’s Irish Pub throughout the weekend, workshops, musical exhibitors, Sunday morning gospel show, and lots of jam sessions. 800-635-3037 or www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org. Lodging: Marriott, 952-544-4400, ask for the special Minnesota Bluegrass rate.

MBOTMA Calendar of EventsConcerts and events presented or supported by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music AssociationThe following events are presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA) or supported in part by MBOTMA, and made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Supported by MBOTMA

RecFest Bluegrass Festival, July 23–26, 2015, Recreation Park, 2nd St. NW, Milaca, MN. The 6th annual festival, with Shaffer’s Lost 40, The Long Shots, Pride Of The Prairie, Barton’s Hollow, Biscuit Boys, Northern Lights, Mathison Family Fiddlers, Sarah Mae & The Birkeland Boys, and The Halvorson Family. Admission $25 weekend + $30 per camping unit. 320-237-2657 or www.milacarecfest.com. Produced by Milaca Parks & Rec and supported in part by MBOTMA.

Scott County Fair Bluegrass Festival, Sunday, July 26, 2015, 10:30 a.m.–6 p.m., Scott County Fairgrounds, 7151 190th St. W., Jordan, MN. Church service with music by Mary Lou & The Rusty Strings at 10:30 a.m. followed by The High 48s, Blue Drifters Duet, and The Roe Family Singers. Admission $10 for parking. For more information 952-492-2436 or www.scottcountyfair.com. Supported in part by MBOTMA. Caponi Art Park Bluegrass Festival, Sunday, September 13, 2015, 12–6 p.m., Theater In The Woods, Caponi Art Park, 1220 Diffley Rd., Eagan, MN. A community celebration featur-ing music, clogging, children’s activities, and food trucks in a beautiful outdoor venue. Adults $20; Age 6-12 $5; Under 5 free. For more information: 651-454-9412, www.caponiartpark.org. Produced by the Caponi Art Park & Learning Center and supported in part by MBOTMA.

27July 2015


Coming Up331C: 331 Club, 331 13th Ave NE, Mpls, 612-331-1746, www.331.mnACA: Acadia Cafe, 329 Cedar Ave, Mpls, 612-874-8702, www.acadiacafe.comAGr: Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe, 394 S Lake Ave, Duluth, 218-723-0075, www.amazinggraceduluth.comAPHC: “A Prairie Home Companion,” Minnesota Public RadioAST: Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main St, Mpls, 612-379-3138, www.astercafe.comBTC: Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, Bayfield, WI, 888-244-8368, www.bigtop.orgBoDD: BoDiddley’s Pub and Deli, 129 25th Ave S, St. Cloud, 320-252-9475CED: Cedar Cultural Center, 415 Cedar Ave S, Mpls, 612-338-2674, www.thecedar.orgCJ: Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave, St Paul, 651-330-4685, www.thecelticjunction.comCrH: Creek House Concerts, New Brighton, 651-633-5353, www.creekhouseconcerts.comDAK: Dakota Jazz Club, 1010 Mall, Mpls, 612-332-1010, www.dakotacooks.comDUL: 607 W Lake St, Mpls, 612-827-1726, www.dulonos.comDuG: Dunn Brothers on Grand, 1569 Grand Ave, St. PaulEAG: Eagles Club, 2507 E 25th St, Mpls, 612-729-4469, www.Mplseagles34.orgFITZ: Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E Exchange St, St Paul, 651-290-1200, www.fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org

Venue abbreviations

June 26—Friday• Blue Groove, NE Brewer’s Block Party,

Sociable Cider Werks, 1500 Fillmore St NE, Mpls, seven different acts. Cider Werks is teaming with local brewers to offer a full line-up of housemade ciders and beers, starts at 2pm

• Monroe Crossing, Art in the Park, Robinson Park, Pine City, MN, 6:30pm

GINK: Ginkgo Coffeehouse, 721 N Snelling Ave, St Paul, 651-645-2647, www.ginkgocoffee.comGKb: Grand Kabaret, 210 N Minnesota St, New Ulm, 507-359-9222, www.thegrandnewulm.comHB: Harriet Brewing, 3036 Minnehaha Ave, MinneapolisHOB: The Loft at Hobgoblin Music, 920 State Hwy 19, Red Wing, 877-866-3936, www.stoneyend.comHOPK: Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, 952-979-1111, www.hopkinsartscenter.comKIP: Kieran’s Irish Pub, 85 6th St N, Mpls, 612-339-4499, www.kierans.comKRAM: Kramarczuk’s Deli, 215 E Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 612-379-3018, www.kramarczuks.comOAK: Oak Center General Store, 67011 Hwy 63, Lake City, 507-753-2080, www.oakcentergeneralstore.comRIV: Riverview Café & Wine Bar, 3747 42nd Ave S, Mpls, 612-729-4200, theriverview.comROCK: Rockwoods, 9100 Quaday Ave NE, Elk River, 763-222-4353, www.nograsslimit.com/RockwoodsCalendar.htmlSHL: Sheldon Theatre, 443 W 3rd St, Red Wing, 800-899-5759, www.sheldontheatre.orgTAP: Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Ave S, Mpls, 612-722-2914, www.tapestryfolkdance.orgUMC: Underground Music Café, 1579 Hamline Ave N, Falcon Hts, 651-644-9959, undergroundmusiccafe.comZUM: Crossings at Carnegie, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, 507-732-7616, www.crossingsatcarnegie.com

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONSJuly 23Womenfolk Live Benefit for KFAI Radio with host Ellen Stanley/Mother Banjo, and guests Katy Vernon, Sarah Morris, Vicky Emerson. Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main St, Mpls, 612-379-3138, www.astercafe.com, 9pm

July 10Red Wing Roots Music Festival with The Travelin’ McCourys, Mandolin Orange, Punch Brothers, Red Tail Ring, Elephant Revival, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Natural Chimneys Park, Red Wing, www.redwingroots.com

Wednesdays in JulyCuttin’ Grass is a music series hosted by the No Man’s String Band at Harriet Brewing. Every Wednesday in July, hear some of the best bluegrass and old time music around. Harriet Brewing, 3036 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, 7:30pm

To post gigs and events to this calendar, request the link to our online submission form to [email protected]

June 27—Saturday• Contra Dance with Moonlight Trio,

TAP, 7:30pm• Danny O’Keefe, CrH, 7pm• The Flemming Fold, Red Lake County

Fair, Red Lake County Fair, Oklee, MN• Jon Garon & Assisted Picking, DUL,

with Mark Kreitzer, Tim Hennessy, Seth Garon, Sedra Bistodeau, 8pm

• Monroe Crossing, Crossings at Carnegie Presents, The State Theatre, 88 E 4th St, Zumbrota, MN, 8pm

• Moonlight Trio: Mary DuShane, Adam Granger, Nick Jordan, TAP, contra dance, 7:30pm

• Peter Rowan, APHC• Pushing Chain, Bent Paddle Taproom,

Beer Run/Walk 5K, 1912 W Michigan St, Duluth, 9:30am

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June 27—Saturday• Pushing Chain, Castle Danger Brewery,

17 - 7th St, Two Harbors, MN• Sawtooth Brothers, Bluegrass

Americana Weekend, Central Park, 145th St W, Rosemount, MN, 8pm

• Singleton Street, Fitgers Brewhouse, 600 E Superior St, Duluth, 10pm

June 28—Sunday• Carver Creek, Harkin Store, 66250 Co

Rd 21, New Ulm, MN, 1pm• Curtis & Loretta, Kingfield Farmers

Market, 4310 Nicollet Ave S, Mpls, 10am• Singleton Street, Lyndale Lutheran

Church, 8012 Co Road 6, Maple Plain• Steve & Stacie, Falconer Vineyards,

3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 1pmJune 29—Monday• Daddy Squeeze, DuG, 7:30pm• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pmJune 30—Tuesday• Bill Cagley, DuG, 7:30pm• Pig’s Eye Landing, Nine Nights of

Music at Minnesota History Center, 345 W Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul, 651-259-3000, Dance lesson by TAP, 5:30pm

July 1—Wednesday• Barley Jacks, Tally’s Dockside, 4440

Lake Ave, White Bear Lake, 6pm• Bob Bovee, Rochester Public Library,

101 2nd St SE, Rochester, MN 10am• No Man’s String Band and Pride of the

Prairie, HB, 7:30pm• Patchouli, Bandshell between East &

West Ave, Red Wing, 7pmJuly 2—Thursday• Barley Jacks, Market Fest, 4701 Hwy 61

N, White Bear Lake, 6pm• Swamp Poppas, EAG, 7:30pmJuly 3—Friday• Gaelic Storm, BTC, 7:30pm• Pushing Chain, Danger Stage @ Wine

Cave & Courtyard, 10551 Main St, Hayward, WI, 7pm

• Sawtooth Brothers, Meet Me Under the Bridge, Wabasha, MN, 7pm

July 4—Saturday• Bob & Lynn Dixon, Prior Lake Farmers

Market, Main Street, Prior Lake, MN, 9am

• Greenwood Tree, St. Paul Farmers Market, Lowertown, 9am

• High 48s, Riverfront Rendezvous, Stevens Point, WI

• The Moss Piglets, Brookside Bar and Grill, 140 Judd St, Marine on St Croix, MN, 3pm

• Pushing Chain, Castle Danger Brewery, 17 - 7th St, Two Harbors, MN, 2pm

• Sawtooth Brothers, North Morristown 4th of July Celebration, North Morristown, MN, 12pm

• The Ultrasonic Duo, Riverfest, July 1–4, E Veterans Memorial Dr, La Crosse, WI, Lots of bands, 11am

July 5—Sunday• Pushing Chain, Moguls Grille & Tap

Room, 371 Ski Hill Road, Lutsen, MN, 5pm

• Sawtooth Brothers, Music in Park, Salem Lutheran Church, 1340 County Road 5, Longville, MN, 5pm

• Singleton Street, Bluegrass Brunch, Dayblock Brewing, 1105 Washington Ave S, Mpls, 10:30am

• Steve & Stacie, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 1pm

• Swing Brunch with Patty and the Buttons, AST, 11am

July 6—Monday• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pmJuly 7—Tuesday• JD McPherson, Joe Newberry, Jearlyn

& Jevetta Steele, Butch Thompson, Tjarnblom, APHC Broadcast live from Maclester College, St. Paul, 4:45pm

• Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm• Laney Jones and the Spirits, AST, 8pm• New Riverside Ramblers, Sea Salt

Eatery, Minnehaha Park, Mpls, 5:30pm• Sawtooth Brothers, Lake Normandale

Bandshell, Bloomington, MN, 7pm• The Farmhouse Band, 331C, 10pmJuly 8—Wednesday• Dick Kimmel, Music in the Park,

Rugbe, ND, 7pm• Folk Showcase with Larry Carpenter,

UMC, 7pm• No Man’s String Band, HB, 7:30pmJuly 9—Thursday• Arlo Guthrie, BTC, 7:30pm• Celtic Music Showcase with Paul

Garding, UMC, 7pm• Charlie Maguire, Salo Park

Amphitheater, 39th Ave NE, St Anthony Village, 7pm

• Pushing Chain, ROCK, 7pm

• Sarah Mae & the Birkeland Boys, South St. Louis County Fair, Proctor Fairgrounds, Duluth, 1pm

• Southside Aces, EAG, 8pm• The Tim Malloys, Paddelford

Riverboat Cruise, www.irishfair.com, 6:30pm

• Wayne Hamilton, Elk River Farmers Market, 716 Main St, Elk River, MN 3:30pm

July 10—Friday• Chris Silver and The Good Intentions,

Junior’s Bar and Restaurant, 414 N Main, River Falls, WI, 8pm

• Dick Kimmel, The Pantry, New Ulm, 5pm

• Mother Banjo, Golden’s Deli, 275 E. 4th St, St. Paul, 651-224-8888, 7pm

• Pete Lanctot & the Stray Dogs, AGr, 7pm• Pushing Chain, DUL, 8pm• Red Wing Roots Music Festival with

The Travelin’ McCourys, Mandolin Orange, Punch Brothers, Red Tail Ring, Elephant Revival, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Natural Chimneys Park, Red Wing, www.redwingroots.com

• Sawtooth Brothers, Viroqua Bluegrass & Gospel Fest, Vernon County Fairgrounds, Viroqua, WI, viroquab-luegrass.org, 7pm

• Sonic Love Child, Minnehaha Park, 4801 S Minnehaha Dr, Mpls, 7pm

• Warren Nelson & Friends, BTC, 7:30pm

July 11—Saturday• Barley Jacks, Fat Cat Triathlon, Hay

Lake School, Scandia, MN, 1pm• Barley Jacks, Junior’s Bar and

Restaurant, 414 N Main, River Falls, WI, 8pm

• Billy McLaughlin & Friends, ZUM, 8pm

• Curtis & Loretta, Brookings Summer Arts Festival, Brookings, SD

• Dick Kimmel & Co, Madelia Park Days, Madelia, MN, 11am

• Dick Kimmel & Co, Patrick’s on Third, St Peter, MN, 8pm

• Greenwood Tree, Farmers Market, Prior Lake, MN, 9am

• Nordic Bees, Menahga Midsummer Festival, Menahga, MN,1pm

• Patty Griffin, Mavis Staples, Amy Helm, BTC, 7:30pm

• Porcupine Creek, DUL, 8pm

29July 2015


• Pushing Chain, North Folk Winery, 43150 Blackhawk Rd, Harris, MN, 2pm

• Sawtooth Brothers, Viroqua Bluegrass & Gospel Fest, Vernon County Fairgrounds, Viroqua, WI, viroquab-luegrass.org, 3pm

• Singleton Street, Black Hawk Folk Festival, Mount Morris, WI

• The Flemming Fold, Polka Spotlight, Northwest Community Television, 6900 Winnetka Ave N, Brooklyn Park, MN, 763-533-8196, Two hour live taping, open to the public

• The Ultrasonic Duo, The Brickyard, 216 Broad St, Prescott, WI, 6:30pm

• Wilkonson James, UMC, 7pmJuly 12—Sunday• Curtis & Loretta, Brookings Summer

Arts Festival, Brookings, SD• Fine Line Bluegrass, Stratford Bluegrass

Festival, Stratford, IA, www.finelineb-luegrass.com, 10am

• The Flemming Fold, Redeemer Lutheran Church, Henderson, MN, 160th Anniversary Celebration, 952-758-7522, www.flemmingfold.com

• Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, BTC, 1pm

• Open Mic, UMC, 6pm• Patty Griffin, Mavis Staples, Amy

Helm, Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, Apple Valley, 7:30pm

• Pushing Chain, Icehouse, 2528 Nicollet Ave S, Mpls, 11am

• Sarah Mae & the Birkeland Boys, Proctor Art Fair, Field Station Café, 200 4th St, Proctor, MN, 12pm

• Sawtooth Brothers, AST, 8pm• Shanties & Shipwrecks, BTC, 7:30pm• Swing Brunch with Patty and the

Buttons, AST, 11amJuly 13—Monday• Millie & the Mill City Cajun

Heavyweights, EAG, 7:30pm• Pushing Chain with Roe Family

Singers, 331C, 9pmJuly 14—Tuesday• Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm• The Fish Heads, Chester Park, at the

base of the Chester Bowl ski area, bring a chair, Skyline Drive, Duluth, 7pm

July 15—Wednesday• Country Music Showcase with Bill

Travers & Laura Moe, UMC, 7pm• Eelpout Stringers, McCall Pond

Environmental Learning Center, Savage, MN, 7pm

• The Flemming Fold, Waseca County Free Fair, 409 8th Ave NE, Waseca, MN, 3, 5, & 7:30pm

• Greenwood Tree, Heritage Hillside Concert, New Richmond Heritage Center, 1100 Heritage Dr, New Richmond, WI, 6:30pm

• No Man’s String Band and Sawtooth Brothers, HB, 7:30pm

July 16—Thursday• High 48s, Eidem homestead concert,

Brooklyn Park, 6pm• Roots Music Showcase with Bill Cagley,

UMC, 7pm• Ry Cooder, Sharon White, Ricky

Skaggs, Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, Apple Valley, 7:30pm

July 17—Friday• Dan Israel and Friends, Wolfe Park,

3700 Monterey Dr, St Louis Park, 6pm• Dick Kimmel & Co, Double Barrel

Bluegrass Festival, Remer, MN• The Flemming Fold, Bavarian Blast,

Brown County Fairgrounds, 1201 N State St, New Ulm, MN, 507-359-2222, www.bavarianblast.com, multiple days

• The Gated Community, The Aquarium, 226 Broadway N, Fargo, ND, 9pm

• High 48s, Hiawatha Bluegrass Festival, Marquette, WI

• Indigo Girls, Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, Apple Valley, 7:30pm

• Pushing Chain, 318 Cafe, 318 Water St, Excelsior, MN, 8pm

July 18—Saturday• Ariane Lydon, ZUM, 8pm• Barley Jacks, Stillwater Log Jam,

Stillwater, MN, 3pm• The Charlie Daniels Band, Cactus

Blossoms open, BTC, 7:30pm• Colin O’Brien, DUL, 8pm• Dick Kimmel & Co, Double Barrel

Bluegrass Festival, Remer, MN• The Fish Heads, Two Harbors Sidewalk

Chalk Days, Thomas Owens Park, Two Harbors, MN, 12pm

• The Flemming Fold, Bavarian Blast, Brown County Fairgrounds, 1201 N

State St, New Ulm, MN, 507-359-2222, www.bavarianblast.com

• High 48s, Hiawatha Bluegrass Festival, Marquette, WI

• Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, CED, 8pm

• Pushing Chain, Cannon River Winery, 421 Mill St W, Cannon Falls, MN, 1pm

July 19—Sunday• Bob & Lynn Dixon, Kingfield Farmers

Market, 4310 Nicollet Ave, Mpls, 9am• Chris Silver Band, Dancin’ Dragonfly

Winery, 2013 120th Ave, St Croix Falls, WI, 1pm

• Open Mic, UMC, 6pm• Pushing Chain, Crow River Winery,

14848 Highway 7 E, Hutchinson, MN, 2pm

• Steve & Stacie, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 1pm


• The Flemming Fold, Bavarian Blast, Brown County Fairgrounds, 1201 N State St, New Ulm, MN

July 20—Monday• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pmJuly 21—Tuesday• Bob & Lynn Dixon, Midtown Farmers

Market, Lake St E & 22nd Ave S, Mpls, 4pm

• Eelpout Stringers, Neighborhood Square Dance, Art House North, 793 Armstrong Ave W, St. Paul, 6:30pm

• Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm• Roots Music Showcase with Bill Cagley,

UMC, 7pmJuly 22—Wednesday• Bob & Lynn Dixon, Nokomis Farmers

Market, 5167 Chicago Ave. S, Mpls, 4pm• Ian & Dick Kimmel, Noon Tunes,

Public Library, New Ulm, 12pm• Jean Bostic, Wolfe Park, 3700 Monterey

Dr, St Louis Park, 7pm• Sweet Rhubarb, Raspberry Island, 3 S

Wabasha, St. Paul, 12:30pmJuly 23—Thursday• Dick Kimmel & Co with Ian Kimmel,

Peace Plaza Stage, 2nd Ave SW & 1st St SW, Rochester, 7pm

• Mother Banjo, AST, Womenfolk Live Benefit for KFAI Radio w/ Katy Vernon, Sarah Morris, Vicky Emerson, 9pm

• Pushing Chain, Floyd’s Bar, 1758 Arboretum Blvd, Victoria, MN, 6pm

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July 23—Thursday• RecFest Bluegrass Festival with

Shaffer’s Lost 40, The Long Shots, Pride of the Prairie, Barton’s Hollow, Biscuit Boys, Northern Lights, Mathison Family Fiddlers, Sarah Mae & The Birkeland Boys, The Halvorson Family, Recreation Park, 2nd St NW, Milaca, Supported by MBOTMA, see p. 9

• Sawtooth Brothers, Hilde Amphitheater, Plymouth, MN, 7pm

• The Rockin’ Pinecones, EAG, 7:30pmJuly 24—Friday• Chris Silver Band, Junior’s Bar and

Restaurant, 414 N Main, River Falls, WI, 6pm

• Pushing Chain, Paul Joern Tri For Cure Benefit, Deer Run Golf Club, 8661 Deer Run Dr, Victoria, MN, 6pm

July 25—Saturday• Bernie King and The Guilty Pleasures,

DUL, 8pm• Brad Senne, Molly Dean, AST, 9pm• Chris Silver & The Good Intentions,

Trempeleau Hotel, 11332 Main St, Trempeleau, WI, 8pm

• Eelpout Stringers, Rice County Fair, 1814 NW 2nd Ave, Faribault, 3pm

• Fred Montana, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 6pm

• The Flemming Fold, Rice County Fair, 1814 2nd Ave NW, Faribault, MN, 1:30pm

• Kahulanui: Hawaii Kings of Swing, BTC, 7:30pm

• The May North, Muskie Days Music Festival, Nevis Park, Nevis, MN, 4:30pm

• Nordic Bees, Alexandria Art in the Park, 1pm & 4pm

• Roy Book Binder, CrH, 7pm• Sawtooth Brothers, Forest Lake

Bluegrass Festival, Lakeside Park, Forest Lake, MN, 4pm

• Singleton Street, Walnut Grove Family Festival, Walnut Grove, walnutgrove.org/festival.htm

July 26—Sunday• A Prairie Home Companion with

Garrison Keillor, BTC, 7:30pm• The Barley Jacks with Brian Wicklund,

Free outdoor performance, Target Atrium, Orchestra Hall, Nicollet Mall, Mpls, 5pm

• High 48s, Scott County Bluegrass Festival, 7151 W 190th St, #145, Jordan, MN, 12pm

• Sarah Mae & the Birkeland Boys, Milaca RecFest, see page xx, 11:15am

• Scott County Fair Bluegrass Festival, with Mary Lou & The Rusty Strings, The High 48s, Blue Drifters Duet, The Roe Family Singers, Scott County Fairgrounds, 7151 190th St W, Jordan, MN, 952-492-2436, Supported by MBOTMA see p. 26


• The Okee Dokee Brothers, Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, Apple Valley, 7pm

July 27—Monday• New Riverside Ramblers, EAG, 7:30pm• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pm• Sherwin Linton, Lake Harriet Park,

4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Mpls, 7:30pm

July 28—Tuesday• Bob & Lynn Dixon, Bluegrass Showcase

with Sarah Cagley, UMC, 7pm• Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm• The Farmhouse Band, 331C, 10pm• The Fish Heads, Lighthouse at Emily’s,

218 Scenic Dr, Knife River, MN, 6pmJuly 29—Wednesday• Dick Kimmel & Adam Granger,

Concert in the Park, Marshall, MN• Ivory Bridge, Lakewinds Food Co-op,

6420 Lyndale Ave S, Richfield, MN, 6:30pm

• Lenz & Frenz, 331C, members from Pert Near Sandstone, Farmhouse Band, Sans Souci & Row of Ducks, 9:30pm

• No Man’s String Band, HB, Final Cutting Grass of the season, 7:30pm

July 30—Thursday• Carver Creek, Sibley County Fair,

Heritage Building, 801 W Chandler St, Arlington, MN, 6:30pm

• The Flemming Fold, Blue Earth County Fair, Shady Oaks Campground, 340 Fairgrounds St, Garden City, MN

• Greenwood Tree, UMC, 7pm• Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, BTC,

7:30pm

July 31—Friday• Charlie Parr, Falconer Vineyards, 3572

Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 7pm• The Flemming Fold, Meeker County

Fair, 1230 N Armstrong Ave, Litchfield, MN, 1:30pm

• The Gated Community, Fitger’s Brewhouse, 600 E Superior St, Duluth, MN, 10pm

• Jerry Jeff Walker with Albert & Gage, Minnesota Zoo Amphitheater, Apple Valley, 7:30pm

• Mark Kreitzer with Jon Garon, Martin on Main, Nazareth, PA, 5pm

• The Moss Piglets, DUL, 8pm• Pushing Chain, Bluefin Grille, 7192

MN-61, Tofte, MN, 9pmAugust 1—Saturday• Carver Creek, Scott Carver Threshers

Harvest Festival, 19375 Fairview Ln, Jordan MN, 9am

• Corey Carlson, BTC, 7:30pm• Curtis & Loretta, Farmstead Creamery

& Cafe, Hayward, WI, 5pm• The Flemming Fold, Wright County

Fair, U.S. 12, Howard Lake, MN, 2pm• Greenwood Tree, Farmers Market,

Prior Lake, 9am• Patchouli, Falconer Vineyards, 3572

Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 6pm• Pushing Chain, Castle Danger Brewery,

17 - 7th Street, Two Harbors, MN, 2pm• Pushing Chain, Bluefin Campfire, 7192

MN-61, Tofte, MN, 7pm• The Ultrasonic Duo, The Brickyard,

216 Broad St, Prescott, WI, 6:30pmAugust 2—Sunday• The Flemming Fold, Scott-Carver

Threshers, 19375 Fairview Ln, Jordan, MN, 2:30pm

• Nordic Bees, Flekkefest, Elbow Lake, MN, 1pm

• Sawtooth Brothers, Washington County Fair, 3:30pm

• Singleton Street, Bluegrass Brunch, Day Block Brewing Company, 1105 Washington Ave S, Mpls

August 3—Monday• Sawtooth Brothers, City Park West

Historic Bandstand, Antigo, WI, 6:30pm

August 4—Tuesday• Brianna Lane, Bryant Square Park, 3101

Bryant Ave S, Mpls, 6:30pm

31July 2015


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Saturday, July 4, 2015 Time(s) TBANorth Morristown 4th of July Celebration4th of July Grounds, 10500 215th Street SW

Morristown, MN 507-685-4372

Monday, July 612:10 pm Rosemary and Meredith Willson Harmony for Mayo Program

Peace Plaza, 1st Ave SW & 1st St SWRochester, MN

Friday, July 10 at 8:15 pmSaturday, July 11 at 3:30 pm & 9:15 pm

Traditional Bluegrass Gospel Music FestivalVernon County Fairgrounds, 210 Fairground Road

Viroqua, WI 608-606-4105

Wednesday, July 15 7 pm Harmony in the Parks, Lions Park Bandshell Lindstrom, MN 651-257-0620

Friday, July 17 7 pm Menahga Summer Concert Series, Spirit Lake Beach Pavilion Menahga, MN 218-564-5462

Saturday, July 18 3 to 6 pmDodge County Free FairDodge County Fairgrounds, 62922 State Highway 57

Kasson, MN 507-634-7736

Sunday, July 19 9 & 10:15 am Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 Lyndale Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 612-312-341

Wednesday, July 22 7:15 pm Music in the Park, City Park Bandshell Valley City, ND 701-845-3294

Saturday, July 25 7 pmThe World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass w/Dolce CantoFirst Presbyterian Church of Coeur d’Alene, 521 East Lakeside Avenue

Coeur d’Alene, ID 406-322-3547

Sunday, July 26 4 pm St Timothy’s Summer Music Festival, St. Timothy’s Memorial Chapel Phillipsburg, MT 888-407-4071

Monday, July 27 7 pmCommunity Bluegrass & Gospel ConcertSt Luke’s Episcopal Church, 270 North Placer Avenue

Idaho Falls, ID 208-522-8465

Tuesday, July 28 7 pmSnowbowl Mountain Music Summer ConcertsMontana Snowbowl, 1700 Snowbowl Road

Missoula, MT 406-274-1527

Thursday, July 30 7 pm Jamestown Arts Center, 115 SW Second Street Jamestown, ND 701-251-2496

Check out our new CD “Because you asked ”at monroecrossing.com

Go to www.MonroeCrossing.com for detailed information on all our concerts! Booking: Art Blackburn, 844-monroeX or 763-213-1349, [email protected]

Concerts & Events Coming Up in July

34 July 2015

Min

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ass.

org

2.1.

2.1.

G/D

Am

AmC

C

/

/

G

GG

AmC

AmC

/G

/G/

/

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b part

a partintro

D.S. Coda

34

26

34

arr. Tim Wankel

17

from Minnesota Fiddle Tunes Project

Minnesota Waltz

9

Violin

played: i a a b a a b a a b

MSFA SloJammers The Minnesota State Fiddlers Association have been transcribing and learning the tunes from the Minnesota Fiddle Tunes CD project. They hold a monthly slow jam for fiddlers to learn old-time, Irish, Scandinavian, Canadian, and Cajun tunes.

Each month, a MSFA volunteer teaches from the group’s repertoire. The rest of the time is spent in a “circle” jam session with the tunes slowed down so that everyone can participate. From beginner to accomplished musician, anyone who wants to work on fid-dling, as well as guitar, mandolin, and other non-fiddle players who want to benefit from the slower tempos to learn how to accom-pany fiddlers are welcome to join.

MSFA members will participate on June 28, 2015, in Smitty’s Amateur Fiddle Contest, Spud Fest in Big Lake, Minnesota, regis-tration at noon. In September, join them for jamming at the Ridgedale Library, Minnetonka, Minnesota, look for dates and times on their website: www.fiddlemn.com. You can also find here additional transcribed tunes and more information on the Minnesota Fiddle Tunes Project on the site.

Mary Pat Kleven organizes the SloJammers and the transcription project. Minnesota Blugrass thanks her and the SloJammers for providing the charts on these pages. Find more information and purchase the CD at: minnesotafiddle.blogspot.com/p/ minnesota-fiddle-tunes-project-cd.html.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDTwin Cities, MN

Permit 343

MINNESOTA BLUEGRASS & OLD-TIME MUSIC ASSOCIATIONP.O. BOX 16408Mpls, MN 55416

TIME VALUE DATA

Picture yourself relaxing in the dappled sunlight at the main stage for the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival in August. This year features Old-Time and Dance. Get your tickets while they last. See the story, page 5. Photo: Michelle Perrin

Minnesota Bluegrass July

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Transcript of Minnesota Bluegrass July