Musicians wanted for a play

Hello! I’m looking for a fiddle player and a steel guitar player for a limited engagement of “A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline”. This IS a paying gig – I don’t know how much it pays but could probably get that information for you. If you have some names you can give me, that would be great! 

Please feel free as well to pass along both my E-mail address and / or my phone number to anyone who might be interested. Please contact me if you have any questions!

Thanks!

Jay A. Heare
Director Of Music
St. John Lutheran Church (Fort Wayne, IN)
260.249.8229

Come Jam in Ossian, IN June 30!

I live in Ossian Indiana, and there are several people in the area who have an appreciation of Bluegrass Music.  On Thursday June 30 Ossian is having a Freedom Fest, and would love to have an opportunity at that time to expose folks to some wonderful Bluegrass music.  We are trying to find contacts, and see if some folks would even be willing to come and use this as a format to 'jam' and expand the fan base here.

Unfortunately we are planning this Freedom Fest Celebration without a budget, but perhaps some of us personally could help with expenses etc to travel here to Ossian.  We are about 4 1/2 miles south of 469 on U.S. 1.

I moved here from the mountains of western North Carolina and sure enjoyed it lots there, and look forward to hearing much more here.  We hope to make it to Kendalville this year.

Sincerely,

Bill and Linda Hambrick
Thesmokies@frontier.com
cell 260 469-2862

(If interested, give them a call and tell 'em you're coming)

May 27 HillBenders at Provena Sacred Heart Home, Avilla, IN

Undeniably the hottest young band on the acoustic scene, The HillBenders have been winning over audiences from coast to coast with their unique style, original compositions and relentless drive. These buzz-worthy bluegrass whiz-kids are quickly rising above many of their peers and gaining international recognition for their aggressive combination of contemporary influences with traditional inspiration and instrumentation, as well as their infectiously energetic stage performances.


They will perform for the residents of the Provena Sacred Heart Home in Avilla, IN at 2 p.m. on May 27. 


This show is sponsored by Northern Indiana Bluegrass as a part of their community outreach program.

Alison Krauss & Union Station summer tour

"Paper Airplane" is the first  Alison Krauss and Union Station CD in six years. It features dobro virtuoso Jerry Douglas along with the other Union Station members. Target will have a special release of the CD with 6 additional tracks.

Alison has more Grammy Awards than any other female artist. Not only has she one in the bluegrass category but also win for country, for collaborations and for song & album of the year with Robert Plant. 

She has planned a 50 city tour this summer.  It has been several years since Alison and Union Station band members Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin and lead vocals), Barry Bales (bass and harmony vocals), Ron Block (banjo, guitar and harmony vocals), and Jerry Douglas (Dobro and harmony vocals) toured together. 

Area cities on the tour are:

JUNE

4        Louisville, KY               The Palace

5        Louisville, KY               The Palace

9        Indianapolis, IN            The Lawn

10      Kettering, OH               Fraze Pavilion

NE Ind. Food Bank benefit June 11, 2011

North East Indian Banjo Society Benefit June 11, 2011

Carlton Haney died

Bluegrass impresario Carlton Haney, a promoter and booking agent who helped popularize the music by spearheading the bluegrass festival phenomenon, died Wednesday afternoon in Greensboro, N.C. A member of the International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame, Haney was 82 years old.

Haney served as a booking agent for Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys from 1953-55, and as booking agent and manager for Don Reno, Red Smiley & The Tennessee Cut-Ups from 1955-64. As a festival promoter, he worked with practically every big name in bluegrass music beginning in 1965, when he organized what he called the “Blue Grass Festival” on a horse farm in Fincastle, Va.

That “Blue Grass” (Haney preferred the two-word phrase rather than the now-common “bluegrass” because Monroe’s band was called the Blue Grass Boys) festival featured Monroe, Jimmy Martin, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, the Stanley Brothers and many more, and it was successful enough to spawn hundreds of other bluegrass festivals. Those festivals were a major shot in the arm for bluegrass, as they provided a means by which fans could hear a bevy of top acts in one weekend and often interact with musicians in informal “pickin’ sessions.”

Spinney Brothers House concert Feb. 13, 2011

Enjoying the show

Spinney Brothers band

Spinney Brothers band

Snacks for the break, yum, yum

It was an awesome performance at our house concert by Nova Scotia premier band, the Spinney Brothers. A few snapshots will help you picture the scene. Folks setting in a living room 10 feet from the performers enjoy some of the best in bluegrass and old country music.

Spinney Brothers House concert Feb. 13, 2011

Jim & Linda Winger have announced that they will be hosting the Spinney Brothers at a house concert on February 13. Contribution are suggested at $15 each.

"We have room for about 30 folks in our living room so it is first come first served with RSVP required.", Jim said.


"The plan is a 1 hour set, a 30 minute break and a 40 minute second set. We will furnish soft drinks but carry-in snacks for the break are encouraged. The concert will start at 6:30p.m. and will conclude around 9:30p.m. If you can make it call us at 260-432-4485.", he continued. Our address is 5034 Wapiti Driver, Fort Wayne, IN 46804

The Spinneys will be in the area without any gigs from Feb. 14-16. On Feb. 17 they have to be in Williamsville, NY. If you are interested in having them at your location on Monday or Tuesday, call for contact information.

Charlie Louvin benefit 10/30/2010

ELL BUCKLE, TENN. -- Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member Charlie Louvin of the legendary Louvin Brothers is fighting pancreatic cancer. 

In an effort to help defray Louvin's astronomical medical costs, the Bell Buckle Banquet Hall in historic Bell Buckle, Tenn., is hosting a benefit concert and auction Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010 from noon to 9 p.m.   The event will be hosted by Louvin and Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike.


Mored details of the event.

Rounder Records at 40

The Wall Street Journal highlights Ken Irwin and Rounder Records success in the recording industry on March 3, 2010.

Airing on PBS stations this month (beginning Saturday) is Rounder Records 40th Anniversary Concert, a celebration of the storied and thriving Massachusetts-based independent music label. Artists performing range from bluegrass superstars Alison Krauss and Union Station to New Orleans soul queen Irma Thomas, singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, rocking actress Minnie Driver, multigenre banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas. They're all on the Rounder label—in some cases, for decades. (A companion CD with additional performances included is being released Wednesday, and an extended DVD on May 4.)

Read the full article on the WSJ web page.

House Party - Sat April 18, 2009

If everything works out, we will have a house party with Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike on Sat. eve April 18. The final details are being worked on.

We are trying to get the band booked in 4 area schools on 4/ 16 pm & 4/17 am to do their educational school program. They play in the Detroit area at Royal Oak Campus, 739 South Washington, Royal Oak, MI 48067-3898 on 4/17 p returning to Fort Wayne that night or next morning.

We feed them and they perform at a cozy house party Saturday night. We only have room for 20 or so! Plans are $15/person. Interested? 260-432-4485

Sunday they attend the monthly NIBGA meeting at the SW Conservation Club in Fort Wayne, IN and then join the jammers after a short show. This will be no charge.

House shows are wonderful intertainment venues. Where else can you set on the couch and listen to fabulous Bluegrass music? Keep tuned here as details emerge.