August 2017
John McEuen Inside:
From the President 3 | Grass Clippings 5 | Dulono’s Last Show 7 All’s Fair in Love & Bluegrass 9 | Blue Ox Review 10 | Cover Story: John McEuen 12 CD Review 21 | Bluegrass Saturday Morning 23 MBOTMA Calendar of Events 25 | Coming Up 30 | Tab 35
August 2017 Vol. 43 No. 7 Newsstand: $3 Subscription: $35
MBOTMA Hot Line
(to subscribe and for other information) 612-285-9133 or 800-635-3037 info@minnesotabluegrass.org P.O. Box 16408, Mpls, MN 55416 www.minnesotabluegrass.org Twitter: @mnbluegrass Facebook: minnesotabluegrass
MBOTMA Board of Directors
President: Laura Cooper - president@minnesotabluegrass.org Vice President: Nic Hentges Treasurer: Robbi Podrug Secretary: Matt Johnson Board Members: Term expires 2017: Alan Jesperson Bill Lindroos - welindroos@gmail.com Rudy Marti - rudolphmarti63@gmail.com Gary Germond - gerpork@concast.net Term expires 2018: Dale Gruber - dalergruber@me.com Brett Day, Philip Nusbaum Youth Representative: Theo Hougen-Eitzman - theohelbg@gmail.com For meeting minutes and other Board business, go to: www.minnesotabluegrass.org/board-minutes
MBOTMA Staff
Executive Director: Jed Malischke executivedirector@minnesotabluegrass.org Member Services Manager: Bea Flaming, 612-285-9133 bea@minnesotabluegras.org
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Minnesota Bluegrass Magazine
Editor: Doug Lohman, editor@minnesotabluegrass.org Contributors: Chris Anderson, Tamara Baker, Bob Douglas, Martha Galep, Philip Nusbaum, Nic Hentges, Coming Up: Loretta Simonet, John Brandberg Y’All Come: Bill Lindroos Wordmark: Katryn Conlin Photography: Martha Galep Cover image: Back: Doug Lohman Deadline for submissions: The 1st of the month preceding publication Submit content or request advertising guidelines at: editor@minnesotabluegrass.org. 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 written permission from the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for the loss or return of unsolicited photos, recordings, or manuscripts. ©2017 Minnesota Bluegrass. All rights reserved. ISBN 0891-0537. 2
Thank you, MBOTMA members Membership as of August 1, 2017: 957
Patrons:
Peter & Bridgit Albrecht Tony & Ann Anthonisen Lenny & Colleen Baltus Gary & Karen Bartig Ron & Kathy Blade Barry & Annie Brooks Doug Chasar Paul Christianson Gary & Janet Cobus Laura Cooper Bob & Marilyn Dodd William Fancher Jennifer Faulkner Mark & Kathleen Fisher Darrell & Marilyn Fuhr Tom & Jill Furrer Jon & Sharon Garon Art Geffen Gary & Jae Germond David Glatt Dale & Diane E Gruber Tom & Marlys Gustafson Michael & Paula Hildebrandt Mabel Houle Ann Iijima & Myles Bakke Jim Johnson David Johnson
Sustaining:
Vicki Andersen Rod & Barb Anderson Daryll &Mary Arntson Vaughn Asselstine Mariltn Bergum & Melvin Rupprecht Kenneth Bloch Susan Christensen-Wichmann Jane Conger Katryn Conlin Brian Cornell Bob & Vicki Dalager Hal Davis Doug Duncan Mary DuShane Matt Edwards Craig Evans Leon Evans Nathan Fjeld Jim Franczyk Warren Gumeson Timothy & Ginger Haaland David Holm Dick & Sue Hopperstad David & Laurette Hougen-Eitzman Mark Johnson
Russel Lane Maxine Larson Loren Laugtug James Lee Douglas Lohman Richard Luckeroth Bob Lundeen Rudy & Jeanne Marti Rodger McBride Karla Menzel Bill Merrill Douglas & Georgene Nesheim Milaca RecFest David & Betty Pfeiffer Lincoln Potter & Cecelia Green Brian Ronning Tom & Cathy Schaefer Thomas & Barbara Schommer Thomas & Maragaret Schuveiller Penelope Scialla Denise & Tony Strahnik David Tousley & Margaret Brandes Michael Valentiner Donna Velasco Jane & Dobson West Jim Whitney John Wilcox John Johnson Howie & Maggie Jorgenson Chris Juettner Jim Lally David Lang Bill Lindroos & Rebecca Reifler Rolf & Lisa Lund Mac McKay Mary McSorley Susan & Joe Meyer Corey Mohan James Natwick Jerry Nelson Dennis & Jan O’Brien Linda & Tony Omann Dominic Orrico Bob Ostlund Gary Peterson Mark & Jan Rubbert Marty & Carol Schirber Wendy Schoen Howell Smith Lynn & Carolyn Thorson Ross & Elizabeth Vaughan Rebecca Wagner & Dan Forsythe Tin Wankel David & Bonnie Warner Carole Wilson August 2017
From the President
Inside:
From the President 3 - Grass Clippings 5 Dulono’s Last Show 7 - All’s Fair in Love & Bluegrass 9 - Blue Ox Review 10 - Cover Story: John McEuen 12 - Kimmel-Longtine CD Review 21 - Bluegrass Saturday Morning 23 - MBOTMA Calendar of Events 25 - Coming Up 30 - Tab 35 August 2017
The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association is open to everyone. Our members include people who love to listen to music and people who love to make music. As a member, you’ll be invited to participate in bluegrass and old-time music events and celebrations. You’ll receive discounted prices on admission to events and merchandise, and you’ll receive a subscription to Minnesota Bluegrass magazine. Becoming a member of MBOTMA is easy and affordable. Your membership will not only nurture your own interests, but help to ensure that the bluegrass and old-time music tradition is sustained and grows in Minnesota. Individual $35
Includes Minnesota Bluegrass, events discounts for one person, and a free classified ad.
Family $50
Includes Minnesota Bluegrass, up to four discounted tickets per event, and a free classified ad. Includes Minnesota Bluegrass, advance booking information for MBOTMA events, a free classified ad, and listings in the MBOTMA member band directory in print and on our website.
Band $75
Sustaining Level $100
Patron Level $150
Includes Minnesota Bluegrass, first-class postage, events discounts, two free concert tickets, and a free classified ad. Includes Minnesota Bluegrass, first-class postage, events discounts, four free concert tickets, and a free classified ad.
Add $18 for First Class or foreign postage to individual, family or band membership. Go to minnesotabluegrass.org and select the Membership tab to join online and pay with PayPal. Or mail in your personal information and payment to: MBOTMA, P.O. Box 16408, Minneapolis, MN 55416 Call 800-635-3037 or 612-285-9133 for details or if you would like to join by phone.
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
The August festival is right around the corner. I’m jazzed about driving up to El Rancho and setting up my camp at Old Washing Machine, the enclave in the farthest reaches of rough camping. I love reconnecting with my tribe. In addition to the music, it is the relationships/connections we’ve established over the years that make the MBOTMA festival such a magnet. Let’s make sure we are reaching out to newcomers so they can experience that same magic. Here are some ideas for enhancing your festival experience: 1) Volunteer at the festival. It’s a great way to meet new friends, contribute to the success of the festival, and to develop a greater appreciation for all that goes into putting on the festival. In addition, you receive the 2017 festival volunteer T-shirt. 2) Attend the Bluegrass Jam Camp. Geared to beginning and intermediate players, participants receive intensive instruction and experience playing with others. It’s quite a bargain when you consider the price of individual music lessons. Plus, it’s a lot more fun. Similarly, the HOW instrument workshops are another way to hone your chops and all you need is to attend the festival and sign up at the HOW workshop tent. 3) Sign up to perform at Ranch House Live. Earl Jarosh started Ranch House Live a number of years ago. It’s great fun. Folks sign up to play one set on Friday or Saturday night. Some of the performances are by established bands, but more often, it’s an ensemble that is put together strictly for the Ranch House. It also big fun to listen to some of the freshest sounds at the festival. 4) Attend one of Lucy Weberling’s yoga classes. Her classes are always accompanied by live and lovely music. 5) Take part in the arts and craft share at the Gathering Place on Saturday morning. Check your schedule for the time. 6) Kick up your heels. I love the dances on Friday and Saturday nights. The New Riverside Ramblers will be playing a Cajun dance. I’m putting in my request now for “Daddy Carrier’s Waltz.” Most likely, there will be Cajun dance lessons beforehand. 7) Participate in a structured jam at the Gathering Place. 8) Buy an instrument from one of the vendors. I haven’t even mentioned the Main Stage. Sitting under that canopy of trees and listening to great Bluegrass, Old Time and related music is pure magic. I know I’m a broken record, but… tell your friends and family, share information about the festival on social media, and ya’ll come. Thanks to those folks who heeded my recent request to donate to MBOTMA to help us through through this financially challenging transition.
Become a Member
Funding for MBOTMA provided in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and private donors
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Every Musician’s Second Home
Get Ready for Summer Festivals We have what you need! New & Used Martin Guitars
Protective Cases
Gigbags
Capos Strings Picks Straps Tuners Harmonicas Tin Whistles Jaw Harps Even Hats!
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
www.elderly.com Family Owned and Operated Since 1972
Toll-Free in the USA 888-473-5810
4
August 2017
Grass Clippings Blue Hazard CD Release Pourhouse, Minneapolis July 7 Blue Hazard played to a near capacity crowd at the Pourhouse in downtown Minneapolis, for their CD release show on July 7. They are celebrating the release of their 2nd CD, Slideshow. The Pourhouse is a great place to see a show, with not a bad seat in the house. The Pourhouse has a decent size stage, a main floor and balcony, with no one more than 75’ from the stage. Everyone has an unobstructed view of the stage. There were 2 opening acts, friends of the band, that warmed us up. When Blue Hazard hit the stage it was more than obvious why people were there. Everyone was rapt and attentive as they opened their portion of the show. Rolling through the songs from the new CD, they entertained family, friends and fans with their
“Play Music on the Porch Day,” Saturday, August 26 Worldwide, 10am to 10pm
• IG - @playmusicontheporch • TWT - @PlayMusic_Porch • FB- Playmusicontheporchday August 2017
won’t be disappointed. They are a fine example of exciting young talent that we have here in Minnesota.
Monroe Crossing - 2000 shows and counting!
Art Blackburn Monroe Crossing is excited to announce that they will achieve a significant milestone this month by playing their two thousandth show on August 17, 2017 in Long Prairie. That’s nearly 18 years of non-stop entertainment; a lot of notes, a lot of fun, and a lot of hard work! The band also announces that Art Blackburn is retiring from his role as the booking agent for Monroe Crossing. Art helped form the band way back at the turn of the century and toured with the
group for the first ten years. After leaving the stage he continued on as the band’s manager and booking agent. Art moved to Hawaii in 2014 in anticipation of his retirement. The band thanks Art for his many years of commitment to Monroe Crossing. Art’s replacement will be the same person who, seven years ago, replaced him on stage: Derek Johnson. He can be reached at 612-720-3746 or derek@monroecrossing.com. 5
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
“Play Music on the Porch” Day is an international day of music. In just four years it has grown from a few musicians playing in Highland Park, California to an international event. In 2016 thousands of musicians from at least 17 countries participated, including Mongolia, Algeria and Iran. 2017 promises to be even bigger! Join in and play along with musicians from around the world on the last Saturday in August to celebrate “Play Music on the Porch Day.” Participation is easy! Just go outside and play music. Participate alone or invite your friends to gather on the porch, in the yard or down on the corner out in the street. Share a video on your favorite social media platform and use #playmusicontheporchday
unique new sound, which is firmly rooted in bluegrass, yet sounds fresh with their young perspective. Check out the CD, check out their website, go see a show, you
August 24-27, 2017
ual n n A 12th
Pine River, MN Cass County Fairgrounds Featuring the Best in National & Regional Bluegrass Bands! Plus camping, jamming, workshops, food & more! National Bands Tickets Available for Purchase in Advance or at Gate.
Special Consensus
Jeanette Williams Band Po Ramblin’ Boys
High Plains Tradition
Kody Norris Show
Wed. Night Old Time Dance FREE!
Festival Schedule Gates Open Tues. at 3pm
Kevin Prater Band
The Baker Family
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Regional Bands • King Wilkies Dream • Shaffers Lost 40 • Sara Mae and the Birkeland Boys • Tim & Cindy + Jerry & Shirley • Eric’s Dance Band
800-728-6926
Main Stage Thu. 5 - 11pm Fri. & Sat. 11am - 11pm Sun. 10am - 2pm Workshops Fri. & Sat. 10am -5pm
Rain/Sun Shelter in Concert Area New! Added Electrical Camping Sites
• Lakesbluegrassfestival@gmail.com
www.LakesBluegrassFestival.com 6
August 2017
Dreamcatcher Plays Last Dulono’s Live Bluegrass Show By Martha Galep
August 2017
Dreamcatcher - Dulono’s Pizza - July 8, 2017 had to be there! Thanks to all who came out to hear and appreciate the talent of these five young fellows. Dreamcatcher should be on the MBOTMA 2018 stage for many reasons, but mostly because of their talent and drive. Max Etling is “living his dream” and we should all share in it for the love of bluegrass. Editor’s note: I first played there in 1972 with a band called Tobiah. John Garon was there about that time playing with Comfort Station. I would like to do an article about your favorite memories of this place where we played and heard great music for close to 50 years. Send me your thoughts, about 200300 words. Old pictures, too! editor@ minnesotabluegrass.org. Thank you.
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
If you have wondered what became of Barton’s Hollow, the young band headed by Ian Kimmel and Max Etling, you’ll like knowing that Max has taken the bluegrass calling very seriously and now calls Johnson City, TN, home. That’s because Max is now in his last year at East Tennessee State University where he is enrolled in the bluegrass program. He plays bass in the Pride band at ETSU (the highest calling of the school band program!) and has joined forces with some pretty heavy hitters also in the program to do the bass work for Dreamcatcher, a band of serious students taking it “on the road.” That road led to Dulono’s in Minneapolis on July 8, which, in a twisted spin of fate, turned out to be the night before Dulono’s closed. The band had announced their appearance at Dulono’s and I was excited to hear them since catching their first performance at IBMA in 2015. These young guys can really play and sing and they have done all the right homework with respect to the genre of traditional bluegrass: three-part harmony to die for on the George Jones classic, “Bartender’s Blues,” Ben’s classic bluegrass high tenor, Brady’s (to quote Tony Rook in attendance) “downright Tennessee hard drivin’ banjo”, Frosty’s tasty, southern-fried, hot guitar, Jordan’s smoky dobro licks and best of all, our hometown hero Max, bringing down the house with the evening’s final tune he wrote, “Did You Hear Me Say Goodbye?” I don’t think anyone there knew it would be the last night at Dulono’s. It was an evening of some of the best bluegrass I’ve heard come from that stage in a long time, and the setting was, to say the least, nostalgic. I kept thinking of all the young bands that have played there and the memories of fun nights there with Barton’s Hollow. How appropriate that Max got to be that last MBOTMA musician to grace that stage! In the audience were many MBOTMA members and one highlight was when Kiley Ellingson got up and did her take on “Driving Nails In My Coffin.” You just
Ben, Brady, Max 7
2000 shows and going strong! Sunday, August 6, 2017
5:00 & 7:00 pm
Zion Lutheran Barn Dance Dave & Renee’s Barn, 17762 97th Street SE
Becker, MN
Saturday, August 12
6:15 pm
Kasson Festival in the Park Veteran’s Memorial North Park , 201 7th Street NW
Kasson, MN
Thursday August 17 7:00 pm
This will be our Long Prairie “Thursday Night at the Park” 2000th SHOW — Memorial Park celebrate with us!
Long Prairie, MN
320-266-5640
Saturday, August 19
7:00 pm
Next Chapter Winery, 16945 320th Street
New Prague, MN
612-756-3012
Thursday, August 24
7:00 pm
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ, 424 Fremont Street
Kiel, WI
920-894-2404
Friday, August 25
3:00 & 10:00 pm
Bluegrass in the Pines Rosholt Fair Park, North Main Street
Rosholt, WI
715-884-6996
Saturday, August 26
7:30 pm
Thrasher Opera House, 506 Mill Street
Green Lake, WI
920-294-4279
Thursday, August 31
7:30 pm
Grand Marais Playhouse Presents Arrowhead Center for the Arts, 51 West Fifth Street
Grand Marais, MN
218-387-1284
Friday, September 1
7:00 pm
Edge Center for the Arts, 101 Second Avenue
Bigfork, MN
218-743-6670
Sunday, September 3
10:30 & 11:45 am
Monday, September 4
10:30 & 11:45 am
Minnesota State Fair - Leinie Lodge Bandshell MN State Fairgrounds, 1265 Snelling Avenue North
St. Paul, MN
651-288-4400
Saturday, September 9
Time(s) TBA
Washington County Bluegrass Festival Lake Elmo Park Reserve, 1515 Keats Avenue North
Lake Elmo, MN
651-430-8370
952-474-0981
New from Monroe Crossing! MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Monroe Crossing plays Classic Country
Inspired by the greatest hits of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s, Monroe Crossing covers new ground with a selection of country classics — songs like “Today I Started Loving You Again” by Merle Haggard, “If I Could Only Win Your Love,” by the Louvin Brothers, and “Ramblin’ Man” by Hank Williams. Available at all of our shows and on monroecrossing.com.
Go to www.MonroeCrossing.com for the latest information on all of our concerts. Booking: Derek Johnson, 612-720-3746 or derek@monroecrossing.com
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August 2017
All’s Fair in Love & Bluegrass By Nic Hentges
Choosing a Microphone Choosing a microphone is like choosing a pair of shoes; the following questions can apply to either. What is your application? Do you have a style preference? What kind of abuses must it hold up to? How much money do you want to spend? To simplify the choices a bit, the most common microphones used are dynamic and condenser; there are certainly other choices but we’re going to focus on these two. Dynamic microphones are generally more rugged, less expensive, but less detailed in what they “hear.” They will generally allow you to achieve greater volumes before feedback and are less fragile so you can toss them in a box with all your cables without too much worry. Condenser microphones will “hear” in greater detail, but can be prone to feedback. They are more fragile so greater care must be taken in handling them and they require additional power, called Phantom Power (+48V). This addi-
tional power is supplied by your mixer or an external power supply. When plugging and unplugging microphones or turning +48V on/off, make sure that mic is not live in any speaker or you risk damaging the speakers. Directionality of the microphone is also important to consider. If you’re using the microphone on stage, stick with a cardioid pattern. A cardioid microphone rejects sound from behind it, making it easier to achieve the volume and clarity you need. Fortunately, today, great microphones don’t have to cost a fortune; however, if you spend $1,000 on an instrument and $50 on a microphone, you may not find yourself too pleased with the outcome. In addition, microphone placement, the rest of your sound system, and even your playing, are a factor in how good and loud you will sound. We’ll cover these another time. Yours in love and bluegrass.
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
August 2017
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Blue Ox, Blue Groove and Beer - Fun in Wisconsin
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
By Martha Galep
A little while back, I noticed a nice piece in City Pages where ‘Pert Near Sandstone was featured in an article previewing the Blue Ox Music Festival. It included an interview with Nate Sipes, mandolinist for the group. Nate went on, bless his heart, to credit MBOTMA, with the band’s early introduction to performing, jamming and “how to do a festival.” I was thinking I should thank him for all the kind words on behalf of MBOTMA when not long after I got just the chance. Blue Ox is held in Eau Claire, WI, about 20 minutes from my house, so of course I HAD TO BE THERE. The talent line up was like a bluegrass hipster’s dream come true: Sam Bush, Punch Brothers, Infamous Stringdusters, Travellin’ McCourys, Railroad Earth, and of course, the hosts, ‘Pert Near Sandstone. I won’t list all the bands (there were many and of course, the Steeldrivers, my fave pick of the weekend, had to cancel) because you get the idea: this ain’t yer Grandpa’s bluegrass festival. This event is held in proximity to the Country Jam music festival, so much of the infrastructure is consistent with a high volume event. Regular MBOTMA festival attendees will marvel at the large crowds (seating allowed only about 2530 meters from the stage - all open space directly in front of the stage is “standing room only” as this crowd wants to dance and cheer), the beer garden, the variety of food vendors, the availability of fill-yourown, ice-cold, purified water stations throughout the event, the talent selection, and other amenities. The main difference in our event and this one is the close quarters of the campsites. You really get to know your neighbors as sites are small and in high demand. This can be a good thing if you round up neighbors ahead of time and camp together as the band Blue Groove, aided by Chuck and Sandi Millar, did. I’m told the family camping area is more spacious and private but I did not check that out. 10
‘Pert Near Sandstone Photo by Martha Galep I attended this event in its inaugural year, 2015. Missed it last year because I was out-of-town, so I was excited to see what changes and updates had been done. The organizers, led by Jim Bischel, have designed a beautiful backstage environment with the customary all-you-can swallow complimentary beer sponsor’s truck. (This is a Wisconsin event, remember!) Comfort facilities include air-conditioned men’s and ladies’ rooms, a picnic area and a bonfire area for jamming with the stars. This was where I spotted Nate and thanked him for all his kind words about MBOTMA. He was his customary humble and charming self and once again gave MBOTMA credit for “starting it all for us.” It was great to see Blue Groove and the Millars at this event, as well as our favorite MBOTMA festival Chairperson, Matt Johnson, a Menomonie native. Back at camp, the ideas of such a hugely attended event being such a success began to be discussed in light of our own festival’s
trend towards declining attendance. We discussed the “best of both worlds” concept - how can we build attendance like this event for our own in August? No doubt, the choices of talent were clearly to attract the crowd that came. It worked. Blue Ox has a much bigger budget than MBOTMA, but would our festival benefit from a page from the Blue Ox playbook? Our own Underground stage might be a starting point for building the crowd and talent that Blue Ox attracts. It might be worth a discussion. Backstage later, I was approached by a fellow who turned out to be John Kozak, Andy Kozak’s son. Many of you know Andy, and probably John as well. It was great to talk with John as he was experiencing the same anxiety I had in the past. He looked right into my eyes and said, “You know, I love this festival, but I worry that the young folks here will think that this IS bluegrass, I mean, that this is all it is. They won’t learn about the traditional acts and the whole genre of the early roots August 2017
Sam Bush, Steve “Mojo” Mougin, Ronnie McCoury, John Kozak, Rob McCoury, Martha Galep Photo by Martha Galep of bluegrass.” To which I added, “Yes, but this gets them on the path. We have to start somewhere and if this leads them to us, it is a good thing.” On this footing I am firmly grounded, which explains my support of the Uke Gathering at the Harvest Jam: we really must support avenues
that bring folks to bluegrass and Blue Ox is certainly one. Hats off to ‘Pert Near Sandstone, Jim Bischel and the city of Eau Claire, WI for hosting this event and I, for one, will be marking the dates for next year. Hope to see you there!
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
August 2017
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An Interview with John McEuen: bluegrass, acoustic and country rock pioneer
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
By Chris Anderson
Chris: Bluegrass and Acoustic music fans are glad to learn that you’ll be here with your “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” Show in Minneapolis, at the Dakota Jazz Club at 7:00 PM, on August 18, so I asked Doug, our Editor, if I could Interview you beforehand. Not only performing with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band over 50 years, your solo shows (alone or with friends) have been a priority as well, but for how long? John: In 1964 I started playing solo, all over southern California - a teenager with a banjo, looking for a place to play. Sometimes I’d play with Penny Nichols, and Mary McCaslin. My first group, the Wilmore City Moonshiners, included Les Thompson, me and 2 other guys. We hoped to make it to Disneyland -- not buying a ticket, but playing! We never did. (Les was 16, and I was “the old guy” at 19! I spent six months playing with Michael Martin Murphy. Then Les called and said, “You should come play with this new group forming.” (In l966.) So, I “auditioned them” by teaching them “Dismal Swamp.” I needed a group to get into a banjo contest on the radio, so I decided, “Okay, if I’m gonna get on the radio, I need a group!” Chris: Were they looking for a banjo player at the time? John: There was no “They”...it was a bunch of guys hanging around a music store, trying to play somewhere. Jeff Hanna, Jimmy Fadden, Les Thompson and me and two others. We ended up getting a job at a folk club. Our biggest gig was December of ‘66, opening for Merle Travis for ten days. We got a Review in BILLBOARD Magazine that said, “...doubtful they’ll ever be captured on a record.” 12
Oddly, about a week later, we got a deal with Liberty Records and in February after forming our Buy for Me the Rain was on the radio. We wondered, “What took so long?” We only knew about 12 songs, and recorded 11 of them. That’s when it started!
I was playing a banjo, guitar, and hadn’t picked up the mandolin much. Things progressed, and after about three years, ended up in “Paint Your Wagon” in 1968, an incredible experience, four months on a movie set. Listening to Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood learning to sing was different. Afterwards, everybody was rather tired, so we broke up.... but I wasn’t! I wanted to have a group with Jeff in it. So, I went out and started working. About six months later, Jeff and I were watching
Poco and said, “Let’s put the group back together!” One song that came along was Mr. Bojangles. That’s when I started playing mandolin. It was, actually, my first mandolin song. We then needed a fiddle, so I started playing fiddle, at 22 or 23 years old, I was a late starter! I bought a $15 lap steel, the same one I use today! It sounds like 1952! Within a very short span of time, after Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy came out (our 5th album), that really started the career. We had enlisted Jimmy Ibbotson at that point. He brought energy, songs, a great voice, and great talent into the band. By then, I was playing banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and lap steel. ‘Charlie’ led to the “Circle Be Unbroken” album, our next one. Chris: Besides the instruments you mentioned, did you also play piano on stage? John: I made a $50 bet with a producer on album #4 that I would play the piano on a recording. He lost! I learned how to play Collegiana in Eb -- one of my favorite recordings, a 1928, a neat swing band song. I always liked piano, but with my long fingernails for the other instruments, I could never really play it (piano) right... I’d break a nail and I couldn’t use it for a month or two! I use the piano, and I can envision chords on it; sometimes when doing film scores, to play simple little piano parts, but I’m not a piano player. I only played piano on the Dirt Band Stage in the early couple of years -- Hard-Hearted Hanna and a couple of other songs in the jugband music genre. Being a multi-instrumentalist on the Uncle Charlie album, and creating a new melding of that type of music was a new opportunity. With August 2017
Current touring band: Les Thompson, John McEuen, Matt Cartsonis, John Cable
August 2017
or somewhere on a business trip, they weren’t allowed to bring back any foreign music or record albums, they were illegal! So, they’d go get an X-ray film at a medical facility, then take the X-ray film to a place that was set up to cut a record into the x-ray film (like a plastic album) -- an “x-ray record!” They’d go back to Russia with their Bones Record, go set up at their house and friends would come over with their tape recorders. They could play the record maybe twice off the Bones Record before it deteriorated. Stories like this are what I bring with me to the Dakota, along with footage from Russia, stories behind the songs, and background of the Circle Album and how that unfolded. Chris: Starting out in music, did you have favorite musicians that you wanted to play like? John: Starting out, bluegrass wasn’t on the radio -- it NGDB - Russia - 1977 was in folk clubs around LA, of how backward it was. In fact, in the music that got me excited about bluegrass. Besides bluegrass in Folk clubs, I’d Soviet Union at that time, they had what listen to Lightnin’ Hopkins and his blues they called “Bones Records.” If someone band, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and went somewhere like Paris or London, sic, or even American radio. Everyone in Russia had a radio, but without a Tuning knob, only a Volume knob. You could hear news, information you needed to hear about, political speeches, etc. but you couldn’t get more than one station. Each city had its own frequency, so, if you moved to a different city, you had to buy a different radio! That gives you an idea
13
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
the song in 4/4, and the drums playing half-time rhythm, that’s what helped establish Country Rock, as it was forming. I was proud that other groups said that the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was an influence on them as it was to a few individuals. But, certain groups took the NGDB style, and drove it way past our influence at the time. In finding a new melding of instruments, with electric instruments occasionally, but acoustic-driven, I should mention, The Band and the Big Pink album. Mr. Bojangles only had one electric instrument on it-bass. The rest was all acoustic. I played mandolin on it, and Les Thompson (an original NGDB member) played bass. (Les and John Cable will be with us at the Dakota.) Cable was also with us in the 70s, when The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was the first American group to go to Russia - 28 Sold Out shows. Not because it was us, but because it was AMERICAN MUSIC. They didn’t know specific groups. It was a different world then. They couldn’t legally get American mu-
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Big Bill Broonzy. When Foggy Mountain Breakdown came on the radio, that was a good day! It was in the film score of “Bonnie & Clyde.” When Statler Brothers put out Countin’ Flowers on the Wall that had banjo in it. Dueling Banjos everybody heard! Every time that happened, someone would say, “Bluegrass is gonna be BIG this year.” And then not much would happen, just an anomaly of a cool song that made it! Years ago you could tune in a Top 40 radio station in LA and you’d hear Aretha Franklin, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, AND the Statlers’ Flowers on the Wall. There was more variety then. Some people ask, “What’s the difference today? I say, “Back then, picture 10,000 people sitting in a baseball stadium, and one person standing on home plate, singing and playing guitar. Pretty soon they say, “Hey, this guy sounds good! Listen to him”.......and more and more stop talking and listen, even want a recording. Now, picture one guy at home plate, listening, and there’s 10,000 guitars and stuff, playing in the stands, and all saying, “Listen to me!” The guy at home plate says, “Oh, I’ll just listen to what I know.” It’s too much! Although the old system made it hard to get heard on stations only playing 40 to 50 tunes a week (with 5 to 10 being upcoming songs), it was exciting to work up that ladder. When Mr. Bojangles came out, the Jackson Five had three hits going up and down while Mr. Bojangles worked slowly up the charts. The average Hit would last about 12 weeks. Mr. Bojangles lasted 36 weeks -- that’s like 3/4 of the year! It was an exciting pursuit! When I come to the Dakota, I’ll talk about how that became a hit and what happened after that -- to a lot of people who played it and the stories behind some of the music people are familiar with. See how I got that shameless plug in there? Chris: Yup! And, you are SO good at it! John: My goal in music is to get 14
told me, when I asked him, “Earl, what’s your secret to playing backup?” “Well, if he’s singin’ low, I play high. And, if he’s singin’ high, I’ll play low.” “Oh, okay! So, what about other playing?” I asked. Earl replied, “Well, when two men are talking at once, you can’t hear either one ‘o them.” - If everyone’s playing at once, it’s a jumble! Listen to a Frank Sinatra record; nobody plays on top of his vocals. In fact, listen to New York, New York, 90% of the music happens between the singing!” Chris: In a family dance band, playing Big Band music, we learned while listening to records, that you don’t play instrumental leads (especially brass) while the vocalist is singing. If we ignored that guideline, we’d hear about it from my parents afterwards. About your early banjo education, was there anything available to learn from in books or records? John: “There was Pete Seeger’s How to Play The 5-String Banjo book. It was a red book, covered a lot of things to help you get started, from basic 3-finger, to the Pete Seeger strum to basic frailing, and helped explain things. After that, getting to watch Doug Dillard live or anybody live that I could find, to learning that where I thought he played a note, wasn’t where I Willmore City Moonshinners Poster thought it was being played, then slowing down records to half speed and when you have the film score going betuning the banjo down an octave lower, hind a scene in a film and somebody says, to find the notes. At half speed, you’re an “Boy, that’s really a good score,” you’re not octave lower and a lot slower, so, I would doing a good job on the film score. It’s not do that and listen to those notes. R-e-asupposed to be noticed....it’s supposed to l-l-y slower and lower. That helped, and, emphasize the scenes. In general, when I found out a big lesson, Chris. I spent you have a song going on, the music’s suptwo years just trying to make my banjo posed to be supportive of it, not take you sound just like Doug Dillard’s, I filed the away from it. bridge, I wore my picks the same, I had Maybe that’s what I like about Bluethe same strings, my head on the banjo grass: sometimes banjo’s gonna’ be drivwas just as tight as his, but it didn’t sound in’ right along! That’s what Jimmy Martin like his. One night at a party, after a show liked to say, “Put that 5-string right in my in southern California, (They’d go pick ear! Pick it HARD, RIGHT NEXT TA’ MY sometimes. I never played, but I took my SINGIN’!” The banjo, as an arpeggiated banjo). Doug broke a string, (I’d gotten to percussion instrument, can fulfill that know him by that time) so, I said, “Hey role, if it’s not flying all over the scales. Doug, play mine, and I’ll change your If it’s doing something that helps in supstring for you!” I wanted to hear him keep porting the vocals; or, like Earl Scruggs acoustic sounds or occasionally others like lap steel, that emphasize, embellish, or add to the feeling of the lyrics. I like to make banjo work in ways that other banjo players don’t. Playing with sustain, or flatpick, frailing, 3-finger, or bare-finger like classical style are options I can use. With mandolin, I try to find sounds that help surround the lyric and the melody, without getting in the way. In other words,
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it because of an interest in preservation of that music? I know you’ve not only been involved with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and your solo career, but you’ve also done some videos of older songs.......for music preservation? John: There’s a lot of truth of history told in the old songs, as I got into music, it was fun to find out that a lot of chord changes that happened in the 1800s showed up 100 years later! The chords to Dreary Black Hills are what Bob Dylan uses for “...come gather ‘round people wherever you go” and in the melody too....”kind friends won’t you listen to my pitiful tale, I’m an object of pity and lookin’ quite pale. I spent all my gold on rice patent pills, prospecting for gold in the dreary black hills.”...like Dylan’s Times They are a’Changing’ song. Pete Seeger did Dreary Black Hills, as did Woody Guthrie. It’s fun to find that stuff out. Chris: “There’s only so many chords in so many combinations, and then they start repeating.” John: Well, there’s only twelve notes! Chris: When you started out, were there certain musicians, who you looked up to and learned from? John: Yea. Doug Dillard, Bill Keith, Earl Scruggs, Don Reno, and Lightnin’ Hopkins, the blues guy. I went to see Lightnin’ once, and I’m a 19-year-old, pasty-faced white kid. He’s playing a club in Hollywood. I said, “Mr. Hopkins, you seem to play a lot of songs in E. (He did all but one song in E) and he said, “Well, you can spend your whole life lookin’ around in E, and you’ll never find all of it.” He was right. Chris: You and Steve Martin Steve Martin, John McEuen - circa 1964 attended the same high school and had a mutual interest in banjo. Bill ing out with Gary Hart for a few days...... Keith’s influence on both of you was lifethey called ME, trying to get help getting long, and shows in your banjo playing. votes! I said, “You’re REALLY in trouble John: Steve and I started playing ban-- if you’re calling a Banjo Player to help jo the same week........we saw a banjo player you run for President!” Well, I helped in my parents’ living room, that my brother him. I got him on the Grand Old Opry, had over; he knew four songs on the banjo. and some TV shows, but it didn’t help. Steve said, that afternoon, “How much is a Mark Twain said in 1858, “Politicians and good used cheap banjo?” And the guy hapdiapers--we change them for the same pened to own a music store. I’d show Steve reason.” things as I learned them. One instance, Chris: Back to music, your involvewhen we heard Bill Keith, Steve couldn’t ment/enjoyment of the older songs--.was gonna record with one mic, we’re not gonna do any fixes, we’ll record for two days.” We did fourteen cuts for two days, and nobody wanted to stop, but, it was midnight, and we were tired and hungry! But, unfortunately, I can’t sell my CDs at NGDB gigs. Chris: Wow! Not a double album? It was so much fun to listen to! John: We didn’t have enough material to proceed, but the single was good! I wanted to do this with the Dirt Band, but, remember, I’m just one vote. I’m not gonna equal what the NGDB has done. There’s only one First American group that went into Russia in 1977, and that was us. There’s only one group that sang, Will the Circle Be Unbroken that’s in the Library of Congress and the Grammy Hall of Fame. That’s all in my book, which comes out in April next year, on Chicago Review Press, and I’m looking forward to it! All these little stories, in a strange life, from playing for Mickey Mouse’s Funeral to recording with Tom Petty or Willie Nelson, or going out with a soon-to-fail Presidential Candidate -- boy, that was fun! Go-
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playing! He took my banjo and played it, and.... IT SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE HIS! I was sooo depressed!! It’s the archer, not the bow. That’s how I found that out! Chris: Okay, so how many banjo players have you just pulled the rug out from under?! Now they’ve found out that, though they had ideals of someday playing like you or “just like Earl,” you’ve now told them, “ they’ll have to play ‘just like themselves?’” John: Strangely, there’s only a few people who really do sound so much like Earl that you really can’t tell. I’m not sure if there’s a point to do that. I’d rather try to honor his music by playing it as good as I can a little differently. That’s one of the things we do, when I do the “Will the Circle Be Unbroken Show,” with Les Thompson (original Dirt Band member), John Cable, and Matt Cartsonis, my good music buddy of the last thirty years. We play things like Earl’s Breakdown and some fast banjo songs that’s a lotta fun, that I can’t do with the NGDB. Chris: Well, it’s been around for 50 years, 51 years now, but you’ve been doing solo shows since the 60s? John: To clarify, since 1964, even with the Dirt Band career and schedule, I’d play an equal number or close to that of solo shows over the years, and the Band is touring for our 50th year. I’m now focusing more on my solo career. Chris: I believe that your solo shows has contributed more to the NGDB than taken away from it. Also, we’ve noticed that, at the live performances of NGDB we’ve been to, it’s like the audience perks up when you’re going to do your solo number during the show -- like, “John’s here, this’ll be cool!” The mood changes to anticipation. (What’ll he play? Will he tell a story or do a song? You HAVE their attention!) John: Thanks. Recently, I made an album called Made in Brooklyn, which I know you’re aware of. I loved making it, everybody involved in it had a great time, from every minute of rehearsal, it was like, “Oh Man! Let’s get this!” and we’re
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figure out how he did Devil’s Dream, and I figured it out first and showed it to him. Chris: How did you meet the Dillards? Did you go to a lot of their performances? John: When I was 17, someone took me to hear a group called “The Dillards.” Waiting for them to go on, both my legs started jumping, (and I never was one of those people who had their leg bounce up and down) and my hands started sweating. Doug came on and kicked off “Hickory Hollow” and my heart stopped! That’s when I started watching them. The next day, I went out and bought their first album, Back Porch Bluegrass. I didn’t have a banjo yet, but I finally convinced my dad to give me one for my 18th Birthday. I had borrowed a very bad one -- but enough to get by on. I went to see the Dillards at least two nights a week, when they were playing, sometimes 3 or 4, ‘cuz I worked during the day and would go in the evenings, as often as I could. My mother made the comment, “You ought to change your last name to ‘Dillard!’” I replied... “Well, I’m thinking about it.” They were very kind, and cordial. I ended up hanging out in their dressing room. Doug would play a lick (John demonstrated), and I’d say, “What was THAT? I never heard you play lead on the 4th string!” Doug would reply, “J.D. Crowe, go check him out.” Jimmy Martin songs -- Doug would show me things as he’d walk out of the room. Or I’d say, “Where did you get that?” He’d reply, “Go check out single-string playing of Don Reno.” So, I’d go check out Don Reno to learn about him. That’s where the influences were-- right there in front of you, the ones you went out to look for. Chris: You didn’t have a banjo teach16
er, was Doug your biggest influence? John: I would say all those that I mentioned. Reno, a lot of single-string stuff. Keith, occasionally. Banjo frailing is another world. David Lindley I liked a lot, for the frailing side. And, along the way, I liked to work on the guitar in different tunings and see what I could bring to that. Chris: Was Merle Travis one of your favorites on guitar? John: When you have a guitar style-or any style--named after you, it means you’ve done pretty well. I’ll never have any style named after me, ‘cuz McEuen’s
too hard to spell. “Oh, your doin’ that McEuen pickin’? How did you spell that???” Chris: How many pull-offs and hammer-ons can be put into one song? Well, watch John McEuen’s Banjo Medley” on Youtube, and try to calculate it! We appreciate your music so much, John! John: I’m glad you like it. I believe my strengths are composing, arranging and producing, and working with other people. My strengths are not the hot playing you get out of the hot players out there, but I think I can put things in good arrangements that makes everybody end up with a piece of music that the audience will like. Chris: I believe, with the way an audience responds to you, John, that, before they even sit down, you have “their num-
ber” and they don’t realize until the show is over how great the show was and how much FUN they’ve had! You don’t ‘work the audience,’ --You work FOR the audience, and THEIR ENJOYMENT. John: I always think that half the people that go to a show don’t want to be there. They came with the half who DO want to be there......like, “Honey, I’ll go see Barry Manilow, if you’ll see the Grateful Dead Reunion with me.” If I can get THEM to like me, then, later on, they’ll say, “Hey, let’s go see that guy, what was his name? He was fun!” And, I’ii also say, “I work for them.” Like, when I worked up Turkey in the Straw, which is one of the hardest songs I know, I thought, “people are going to love this,” and, “this will go over good!” It’s not necessarily a beautiful piece of music, it’s a technically hard, fast song. So, when I’d say, “Honey, do you want to hear Turkey in The Straw again?” “NO.” (She’s not gonna clap, though she did the first time.) Other composers did the same thing, wrote pieces of music that are fun. It’s fun to find things that make people react! Chris: We’ve had plenty to remember from seeing your show in Kansas City, and I believe Steve and I got the last two seats in the place, but others came in and stood throughout your show. I’m sure we broke some “Maximum Capacity” limits that night! John: I appreciate your caring to do the interview, Chris, and hope you’ll let people know about the show at the Dakota. I’m bringing some very interesting and entertaining players I believe people will be glad to see, also, I will have something going that night that a lot of other musicians don’t have.........a job. (Mutual Laughter!) August 2017
In Concert - Slewfoot Bluegrass Band and Jam
ARMADILLO SOUND & DESIGN
Serving the acoustic music community for over 35 years.
Complete production services, sound and lights.
Complete studio and live multi-track recording with Protools©.
You know Doug’s attention to detail in the live concert… Let him help you craft your next recording project.
612-306-3490 douglohman@aol.com
A Birthday Celebration and Fundraiser for
Church of the Good Samaritan turning 150 years old in 2017
Thursday, September 7, 2017 - 6-8pm ElmerZ’s Event Center, Sauk Center Tickets - $20 Food-Drinks-Silent Auction-Entertainment
Purchase tickets at the event or to reserve call (320) 352-6882 goodsamaritansaukcentre.org
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August 2017
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Pulled Pork and all the corn on the cob you can eat!
Music 4-8pm
A
g ue r l as s F B l a u es n n
5-8pm
Saturday - August 5, 2017 The Baudette Depot, Baudette, MN
tiv
Featuring
al
3rd
$5 entry fee
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Check out the Baudette Depot on Questions? Call Vince @ 218-590-6407
Meal- Free will donation This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota, through a grant from the Region 2 Arts Council, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund. 18
August 2017
Cameron 12th Annual Bluegrass Festival September 8, 9, 10, 2017 Pioneer Village Museum 1866 13 1/2 14th Ave. (Cty. Hwy. W) Cameron, WI
Porcupine Creek
Featuring: • The Biscuit Boys • North of Dixie • Porcupine Creek • Kings Countrymen • Highview • River City Ramblers • Stringsmiths • Gospel Notes • Rosby Corner • John and Rose Band • St. Paul Mudsteppers Music begins Friday night at 5pm Vendors, Jammin‛, Workshops and more
For more information or directions contact
Gate Fee: Fri. $10, Sat. $15, and Sun. $10; $30 for weekend pass Rough camping is an additional $10 per August 2017
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Kathy Krug at (715) 458-0181 Food and refreshments available
en ntr ym u o C ’s King
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CD Review
Dick Kimmel & Pamela Longtine: Fiddle & Mandolin by Tamara Baker
August 2017
inspired by the historic Desnoyer neighborhood in St. Paul, where Pamela had lived in the early 2000s; Dick Kimmel’s mandolin follows her lead in a splendid dance. Glyndon Turkey Schottische was written in honor of Roger, a turkey that was the mascot of Glyndon, Minnesota; Longtine and Kimmel often play this tune for school children, who dance behind Longtine as she schottisches around the room. Homeless and Heartbroken was written by Dick Kimmel after a trip to London in the 1990s where he saw homeless men sleeping in doorways; his singing and Lantz Dale’s backing vocals go well with his old-timey banjo playing and Longtine’s fiddling. Things lighten up again
with Longtine’s Three Jigs medley – Adeline’s Jig, The Otter’s Jig, and Rosa’s Jig – all of which are played with grace and verve by their composer. The cover of Rain and Snow finds Ian Kimmel’s tenor vocals supporting his father’s singing and guitar playing. The CD closes with Midnight on the Water, a lovely old tune with Kimmel and Longtine’s uniformly excellent playing. Top-notch stuff, all around! Tamara Baker is a former music and equipment reviewer for The Absolute Sound. She lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota and is married to the accomplished traditional and Scandinavian music guitarist Eric Platt. 21
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This CD is the first by Dick Kimmel and Pamela Longtine, two stalwarts of the Minnesota old-time and traditional string music community. Kimmel is a multi-instrumentalist legend, adept at guitar and clawhammer banjo as well as mandolin; Longtine is a superb fiddler with experience in many traditional genres. Together, and with assistance from family and friends, they’ve put together the perfect CD to get you in the right frame of mind as you drive up to the MBOTMA festival. The first piece, Metamorphosis Stomp, is a fiddle tune Longtine wrote for a program she and Kimmel created on the monarch butterfly, a creature for whom the Kimmel and Longtine families share a fascination. It’s reminiscent of the many peppy 1890s C-tune rags, and shows how well she’s mastered the stringband form. The second track, Lima Beans, is an original composition by Kimmel and its lively spirit continues the peppy mood. Things get slow and thoughtful in the next track. The cover of Pretty Little Miss out in the Garden features Dick Kimmel’s son Ian, whose vocals and mandolin share the spotlight with the remarkable singing of Andrea Lyn in a delicate duet. Longtine shows her skill with DDAD tuning in Coleman’s March and Washington’s March with Kimmel providing able backup on mandolin. The old standard Buffalo Gals brings back the peppy mood with Longtine’s fiddle and Kimmel’s mandolin meshing well with their singing. Longtine pays respect to her French-Canadian heritage with Reel du Ting Tang, a lively tune complete with foot-tapping and string-plucking. Ian Kimmel reappears, playing rhythm mandolin and providing tenor vocals on his father’s contemporary styled song Fly Away to Mexico, which is probably the most tuneful description extant of the life cycle of the monarch butterfly; Lantz Dale provides additional vocals. Next are two more Longtine compositions, Desnoyer Waltz and Glyndon Turkey Schottische. Desnoyer Waltz was
r te
A M A
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Duet Contest
Band Contest
West End Market Stage, Minnesota State Fair
West End Market Stage, Minnesota State Fair
State Fair ribbons and cash prizes ($500/ $250/$100) to the top three duos. First Place Duo wins: • 5 hours of studio time at Wild Sound Recording Studio • A cover article in Minnesota Bluegrass
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S E Z RI
Friday, September 1, 2017 3:00–5:45 PM
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
ZI N
Saturday, September 2, 2017 3:00-5:45 PM
State Fair ribbons and cash prizes to the top three bands ($1,000/$500/$250). First Place Band wins: • A paid set at the 2018 Minnesota Homegrown Kickoff • A cover article in Minnesota Bluegrass • 5 hours of studio time at Wild Sound Recording Studio • A video session at Baby Blue Arts
Go to www.minnesotabluegrass.org for guidelines and to register. Register early - the contests fill fast! Gold Sponsors
Baby Blue Arts Wild Sound Recording Studio 22
SILVER SPONSORS
Homestead Pickin’ Parlor Hoffman Guitars LaPlant Instruments
The Guitar Shop, Rosemount Tim Reede Guitars Willie’s American Guitars August 2017
Bluegrass Saturday Morning By Phil Nusbaum
August 2017
Bluegrass Review Supporters Hoffman Guitars www.hoffmanguitars.com (hand crafted Hoffman guitars, authorized Martin repairs) Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association www. minnesotabluegrass.org (membership organization supporting bluegrass experiences) John Waddle Violins: www.waddleviolins.com (Dealer of international & domestic, new & old violins, bows, cases) Weekly Playlists, Listen Online 1. PRX To locate Gems of Bluegrass and the Bluegrass Review online, type either in the search box at www.prx.org and you should get many hits. Bluegrass Saturday Morning is streamed and also archived at the new url for KBEM 88.5 www.jazz88.fm. 2. www.bluegrassreview.com Bluegrass Review playlists are located at www. bluegrassreview.com. Just use the “programs” link you’ll find at the top of the page. Then look for the show for whichever week is current. The current week’s show should come to the top, then scroll down to view earlier playlists. Scroll down all the way to access a player enabling you to stream the show. 3. www.jazz88.fm To stream KBEM programming, at www.jazz88.fm, click on “listen live.” Bluegrass Saturday Morning playlists are located at www.jazz88.fm. At the top of the home page on the right-hand side, select “playlists.” Then click on the desired date. To listen to archived shows, at www.jazz88.fm, click on “on-demand.” Then click on the date and show.
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 23
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The Big Tadoo The Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association was formed in the 1970s to preserve and promote bluegrass music. But to a group like MBOTMA, presenting bluegrass means doing more than staging the music, it means creating large-scale social occasions. While other presenters put on bluegrass concerts, MBOTMA presents bluegrass occasions. At a typical MBOTMA event, for a period of days, you can listen to, play, learn about bluegrass, or just hang out in a bluegrass atmosphere. At MBOTMA board meetings, we board members are full of compliments for MBOTMA festival committees and the large number of volunteers that run the events. Everybody loves the friendly atmosphere the volunteers create and the help they provide. But we also talk about festival bottom lines. The good news is that the June festival bottom line was more favorable than any other in recent years. Regarding the August 10-13 festival, I’m confident it will be a success as far as the quality of both the occasion and the stage music. Most who come to this annual event tell stories about it, and there are two hands-on events that really help bluegrass music. One is the Jam Camp which helps young pickers get their chops. The other is a workshop in Sound Reinforcement. The band selection committee always does a fine job in creating a band lineup. But let me tell you about Frank Sullivan and Dirty Kitchen. I remember about five years ago at a World of Bluegrass event (www.ibma.org), seeing the band at formal and informal performances. At the time, they had just issued a bluegrass version of the Box Tops’ generation-old hit, “The Letter,” and everybody was requesting it from them. I think it was at last year’s World of Bluegrass, or maybe it was 2015, that I caught Dirty Kitchen again, still playing inventive arrangements of bluegrass old and new, with a few surprises added to the mix. This is a band I would recommend to anyone, anywhere, a group of great guys and players. From the local scene, there are several great groups. If you have not heard the Sawtooth Brothers lately, try to catch them. A few years ago the group made the transformation from traditional bluegrass band to one playing complicated arrangements of their own songs. While their style is modernistic within the bluegrass community, it actually reminds older ears of what pop groups such as The Band were doing a generation ago. The title of one of the Sawtooth Brothers songs are, to me, words to live by: “Summer All the Time.” Bluegrass Review this Summer The show spins current and past bluegrass. In general, the Bluegrass Review shows how the tendencies of writing and performing bluegrass songs both change and continue over time. We talk about bluegrass as both a part of history, and as an art form. We’ve got quite a few artists talking about the inspirations for their work set to go on this summer’s shows.
August 10-13, 2017 El Rancho MaĂąana Richmond, MN Five Time IBMA Event Of The Year Nominee! 2016 IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
The Po Rambling Boys Bluegrass Martins - Dugout Canoe Evan Kinney & His Dixieland Squirrel Skinners
Roochie Toochie
& the Ragtime Shepherd Kings
Mother Banjo - The Good Intentions The Wild Goose Chase Cloggers - The Woodpicks The New Riverside Ramblers - Tony Rook Band Art Stevenson & High Water The Sawtooth Brothers
Beautiful Main Stage Shaded Seating Area 35 Hours of Concerts Nightly Dances Instrument Showcases Children’s Activities Over 20 Workshops Shuttle Transportation Kids Are Free! Plenty of Campground Jam Sessions 30 Merchant & Food Booths Campground with Showers & Beach A Welcome & Safe Environment
Come for the Day - Camp for the Weekend 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)
Online, mail, and phone order advance price tickets available until July 31
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.
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
1-800-635-3037 - www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org Thank you Sponsors!
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MBOTMA Calendar of Events Concerts and events presented or supported by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association
The 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.
August 10-13, 2017, Thursday through Sunday The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival: Richmond, MN: El Rancho Mañana Campground &
Riding Stable (27302B Ranch Rd 56368, 20 mi W of St Cloud, I-94 exit #153 at Avon, 9 mi S on Cty 9, L on Mañana Rd). Four-day outdoor music and camping festival with stage shows, dances, workshops, showcases, children’s shows, demonstrations, crafts, and good food in five stage areas. Five time IBMA Event of the Year nominee. 2017 performers will include Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, The Bluegrass Martins, The Po Ramblin’ Boys, Dugout Canoe, Evan Kinney and His Dixieland Squirrel Skinners, Roochie Toochie & the Ragtime Shepherd Kings, and many more TBA. Mainstage showtimes are 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM Thursday, 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM Friday, 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM Saturday, and 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM Sunday. For information or tickets call 800-635-3037 or visit www.MinnesotaBluegrass. org. Presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association.
September 1 and 2, 2017 - Friday and Saturday 2017 Minnesota Americana-Roots Music Contests:
At the Minnesota State Fair, St. Paul, MN.. For more information 800-635-3037 or www.MinnesotaBluegrass. org. Presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA).
September 4, 2017 - Monday Laughing Waters Bluegrass Festival: Minneapolis, MN,
1:00-6:30pm, Minnehaha Park. The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Becky Thompson and Old School, Middle Spunk Creek Boys, King Wilkie’s Dream, Sawtooth Brothers, Pride of the Prairie. Sponsored by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA).
Write a Review of a favorite concert or CD. Write an article about your favorite jam. Tell us about how you came to like Bluegrass and Old-Time String Band Music.
editor@minnesotabluegrass.org
August 2017
St Louis Park MN: Marriott Minneapolis West Hotel (9960 Wayzata Blvd). This 12th annual event will feature stage shows Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning featuring topnotch bands to be announced. Plus the Race For A Place Band Contest on Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the Saturday Banquet Dinner (get the best seats for the evening concert), Kip’s Live Open Mic in Kip’s Irish Pub throughout the weekend, workshops, musical exhibitors, a Sunday morning gospel show, and lots of jam sessions. For more information 800-635-3037 or www. MinnesotaBluegrass.org. To book lodging contact the Marriott at 952-544-4400 and ask for the special Minnesota Bluegrass rate. Presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old- Time Music Association (MBOTMA).
Get a PDF of Minnesota Bluegrass before eveyone else... If you are already a member and want
to receive Minnesota Bluegrass in electronic form instead of by postal mail, it will be emailed to you directly before it is available to the general public. If you only want the digital copy or you have problems opening the file, please contact the Minnesota Bluegrass editor at editor@minnesotabluegrass.org.
ATTENTION BLUEGRASS JAMMERS!
In the next couple of months, MBOTMA will be updating and converting its jam schedule to a link connected to our website. That way it will be available 24 -7 at your fingertips. If you head up a jam, attend a jam, or know of a jam, please contact Tony Stachnik at tdjejs@ msn.com. Thank you and keep on jamming!
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Contribute to Minnesota Bluegrass Magazine.
November 17-19, 2017 - Friday through Sunday Harvest Jam Acoustic Music Experience:
25
Y’all Come Looking for a place to play with others? Jams are open to the public, but musical tastes and etiquette vary from place to place. A call is recommended before your first visit. Let us know of any changes or misinformation regarding these listings. Please update your own jam information or send us details about new ones at editor@minnesotabluegrass.org.
Minnesota
Bayport: Bayport Library, 582 N 4th
St, 651 275-4416, Mary, 651-439-8055, M3oberg@yahoo.com, Acoustic, Mon, 5:30-8:00pm Brainerd: Coco Moon Coffee Bar, 601 Laurel St, 218-825-7955, Bluegrass, 1st, 3rd 5th Thu, 6:30-8pm Cannon Falls: First Congregational Church, 220 Main Street W (Highway 19), Mary Pat Kleven, 507-298-3016, mpkleven55@gmail.com, Old-time, 2nd Fri, 6:30-8:30pm Clear Lake: Travelers on the Mississippi, 11290 80th Ave SE, 320743-3133, Dick Pickens, 406-868-9205, Bluegrass, Gospel, Amps permitted, May - Sep, 3rd Sat, 6-9:30pm
Delano:
Crow River Guitar and Sound, 45 Babcock Blvd W, 763-972-7200, Molly, hoofparker@frontiernet.net, Bluegrass, Sat, 11am-1pm
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Duluth:
Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, 805 Superior St, 218-728-1192, http://sirbens. com, • Bluegrass, Wed, 7-9pm • Celtic, Thu, 7-9pm Fergus Falls: The Spot, 220 W Lincoln Ave, 218-998-2551, http://www. thespotpaniniandwine.com, 218-7366198, redblug@yahoo.com, Celtic, 3rd Thu, 7-9pm
Fergus Falls:
Westridge Mall, 2001 W Lincoln Ave, 218-739-4439, Bob Johnson, 218-7366198, redblug@yahoo.com, Acoustic, 1st Sun, 1-5pm
Ham Lake:
• Glen Cary Lutheran Church,
26
155531 Central Ave NE (Hwy 65), 612-366-1359, Joe Walters, 736-4345695, WhenWillitSnow@mac.com, Bluegrass, Country, Gospel, 2nd Fri, 6:30-9pm • Ham Lake Senior Center, 15544 Central Ave NE (Hwy 65), Maxine Larson, 763-434-6750, Country, Bluegrass, Old-Time & Horns, 2nd Thu, 7-10pm • Ham Lake Senior Center, 15545 Central Ave NE (Hwy 65), Maxine Larson, 763-434-6750, Acoustic & Amplified, 3rd Tue, 1-4pm
Hancock:
• By-Lo Gas and Groceries, 969 6th St, (320) 392-5244, Bob, 320-392-5662, Bluegrass, Old-time, Thu (Winter), 6:45-7:45 • Della Conroy Studio, Della, 320392-5662, Bluegrass, Oldtime, Thu (Spring-Fall), 6:45-7:45
Minneapolis:
• Blackbird’s Music, 3445 Cedar Ave S, 612-326-5745, http:// blackbirdsmusicstore.com, Blackbirdmusicmpls@gmail.com, • Bluegrass, Thu, 7-9pm • Adult Learners, Tue, 6:30-8pm • Bluegrass, Every other Sat, 10am - noon • Elliot Park Recreation Center, 1000 14th St E, www.TCUkeClub.com, tcuker@icloud.com, Ukulele, Blues, Jazz, Swing Group Lesson, 2nd, 4th Thu, 7-9pm • Kenwood Park Community Center, 2101 Franklin Ave, www. TCUkeClub.com, tcuker@icloud. com, Ukulele, Bluegrass, 2nd, 4th Mon, 7-9pm • Kenwood Park Community Center, 2101 Franklin Ave, , www. TCUkeClub.com, tcuker@icloud. com, Ukulele, Americana, 1st, 3rd Thu, 7-9pm • Kieran’s Irish Pub, 330 2nd Ave S, 612-339-4499, http://www.kierans. com, Irish, Sun, Noon-2pm • Lunds & Byerlys Community Room, 1450 W Lake Street, Donna, 651 698-4971, andaghs@earthlink.net, Acoustic, 2nd Friday, 7-9pm • Walker Community United Methodist Church, 3104 16th Ave S, 612-209-5311, Roy, revanster@gmail.
com, Bluegrass, Last Mon, 7-10pm
Monticello:
VFW, 713 Cedar St,, 763-807-6431, Milo Olson, mardellolson@yahoo.com, Acoustic & Amplified, May - Nov, Last Sun, 2-5pm
Northfield:
• Contented Cow, 302B Division St, 507-663-1351, http://www. contentedcow.com/ongoing-events/ Northern Roots, Mon, 7:30 PM • Northfield, MN, Contented Cow, 302B Division St, 507-663-1351, http://www.contentedcow.com/ ongoing-events/ Acoustic, Tue, 7:30-10 PM
Oakdale:
Silver Lake Methodist, 5399 Geneva Ave N, 651-777-2920, Junior, MNrover@juno. com, Acoustic, 3rd Sat, 10am-noon
Red Wing:
Winter Farmer’s Market, Sargent’s Nursery, 3352 N Service Drive, Dave, 651-388-3847, Old Time, Nov-Mar, Sat, 9am-Noon
Richfield:
Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, 6625 Penn Ave S, 612-861-3308, http:// homesteadpickinparlor.com, • Slow Fiddle tunes, 1st,3rd, 5th Mon, 7-9pm • Flatpicking Guitar, Thu, 7-9pm • Beginning Bluegrass, 2nd, 4th Tue, 7-9pm • Advanced Bluegrass, Sat, 3-6pm • Fiddle tunes, Wed, 7-9pm • Folk Jam, 1st, 3rd, 5th Tue, 7-9pm
Rochester:
Peace UCC, 1503 2nd Ave NE, http:// peacechurchucc.org, Pat Lehey, 507-2617128, Bluegrass, Fri, 6:30 PM
Rogers:
Rogers Community Center, 21201 Memorial Dr, Dave Christen, 612859-5847, quickieauct@hotmail.com, Acoustic & Amplified, 1st Sun, 1-6pm
Roseville:
Ken’s Market, 788 Cleveland Ave SW, Doug Chasar, 612-802-0833, dchasar@ att.net, Acoustic, Mon, 6:30-8:30 pm
Rushford:
Good Shephard Home, 800 Home St, Roberta Albertson, 507-864-8109, semba@acegroup.cc, Bluegrass, NovMar, 3rd Sun, Noon-5pm August 2017
St Anthony:
Valley City:
Saint Cloud:
Wisconsin
Culvers, 4004 Silver Lake Road, Barb, 763-784-7881, Sponsored by MBOTMA; all levels welcome. Bluegrass, Sat, 1:304pm Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Dr, Ken Hoest, 320-260-3348, Acoustic & Amplified, 1st Tue, 6:30-9pm
Saint Paul:
• Burn Unit Coffee Ward, 945 West 7th St, Doug Chasar, 612-802-0833, dchasar@att.net, Acoustic, Thu, 6:30-8:30 pm • Dubliner, 2162 University Ave, 651646-5551, http://thedublinerpub. com, • Sea Shanties, 2nd Mon, 7:30 PM • Traditional Irish Session (Advanced Players), Fri, 6-9pm • School of Rock Lowertown, 417 Broadway St, Donna, 651-698-4971, andaghs@earthlink.net, Acoustic, 3rd Sunday, 3-5pm • Underground Music Cafe, 1579 Hamline Ave N, 651-644-9959, http://undergroundmusiccafe.com, Roots Music (Bluegrass, Old-Time, Country), 1st, 3rd Tue, 7-9pm • Underground Music Cafe, 1579 Hamline Ave N, 651-644-9959, http://undergroundmusiccafe.com, Cajun, 1st, 3rd Sat, 11am-1pm
Spring Valley:
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 805 S Broadway, Roberta Albertson, 507-8648109, semba@acegroup.cc, Bluegrass, Nov-Mar, 1st Sun, Noon-5pm
Taylors Falls:
Memorial Community Center, 312 Government Street, Brian Pigott, 651465-5551, popspeejou@frontier.com, Acoustic & Amplified, Mon, 6-9pm
Wyoming:
North Dakota Fargo:
Red Raven Expresso Parlor, 916 Main Ave, 701-478-7337, Bob Johnson, 218736-6198, redblug@yahoo.com, • Celtic, 4th Thu, 7-9pm • Old-Time, 2nd Thu, 7-9pm August 2017
La Crosse:
Southside Neighborhood Center, 1300 6th St S, Ron Sackett, 608-498-0020, ronaldsackettsr@yahoo.com, Bluegrass, Gospel, Sep-May, 2nd Sun, 12-4:30pm
Menomonie:
Christ Lutheran Church, Elm & Wilcox Streets, Donna Harschlip, 715-673-4885, Mountain Dulcimer, Tue, 1-3pm
Rice Lake:
First Lutheran Church, 15 E Sawyer St, 715-458-0181, curlupndye@ mosaictelecom.net, Acoustic Bluegrass, Gospel, Sep-May, 2nd Sat, 6-9pm
8th Annual John Hugelen Cajun Music Scholarship
Fundraiser
y a d r u 7 Sat 1 0 2 1, 1 r e rty emb
Nov
n Caju
a P e Danc
with
Jesse Lége
THE EAGLES CLUB #34 2507 E. 25TH St, Minneapolis, MN 8pm
Jamming! Food! Silent Auction! Dancing! To raise money for the 8th Annual John Hugelen Cajun Music Scholarship
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Wyoming Methodist Church, 5459 E Viking Blvd, Stephen Whiting, 651464-7442, whitingsranch@gmail.com, Acoustic, Gospel, 2nd & 4th Thu, 7-9pm
Barnes County Historical Society, 315 Central Ave. N, John Andrus, 701-7218296, Bluegrass, Sep-May, 2nd Sat, 1-5pm
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Kick Up Your Heels Dances MON • MINNEAPOLIS, 7:30pm Monday Night Square Dance at The Eagles Club, 2507 E. 25th St. 612–729– 4469 (1st and 3rd Mondays) MON • MINNEAPOLIS, 7:30pm Monday Night Cajun Dance at The Eagles Club, 2507 E. 25th St. 612–729– 4469 (2nd, 4th and 5th Mondays) SAT • (1st) SAINT PAUL, 8pm New England Contra, Celtic Junction. Jim Brooks 651–222–5475 brooks@csp.edu SAT • MINNEAPOLIS, 7:30pm Tapestry Folkdance Center, New England–style contra dance. SAT • (2nd) DULUTH, 7:30pm Contras, Squares, and round dances, Tamarack Dance Ass’n, YWCA, 202 West 2nd St.
Open Stages
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Open Stages
TUE • MINNEAPOLIS Kieran’s Irish Pub 612–339–4499. Sign–up 8pm, music 8:30. TUE • (3rd) SPRING VALLEY, WI, 7pm Sneaker’s Pub and Eatery, 128 McKay Ave WED • (1st and 3rd) ST. PAUL Gingko Coffeehouse, 721 Snelling Ave. Hosts: Neal Dimick. Sign–up 6:30pm, music 7pm. 651–645–2647 THU • RIVER FALLS, WI Knitter’s group + open mic. Dish & the Spoon Café, 208 N. Main St., 715–426–9392 THU • (3rd) SPRING VALLEY, WI, 7pm Sneaker’s Pub and Eatery, 128 McKay Ave SUN • RED WING, 4–7pm Music Loft, Hobgoblin Music, 920 Hwy. 19 651–388– 8400 or 877–866–3936 SUN • MINNEAPOLIS: 6:30pm The Warming House, 4001 Bryant Ave S, lower level, Minneapolis, 877-987-6487 28
Turn Your Radio On KAUR–89.1 FM Sioux Falls, SD “Folk Wave” Sat. 10–noon Host: Gaynor Johnson KAXE–FM 91.7 Grand Rapids, MN “Backporch Harmony” Sun. 5–pm KBEM–FM 88.5 Minneapolis, jazz88fm. com • “Bluegrass Saturday Morning” Sat. 7am–noon. Host: Phil Nusbaum • “The Thistle & the Shamrock” Sat. Noon -1pm • “String Theory” Sat. 1–3pm Sun. 9–11pm Host: Kevin Barnes • “American Routes” Sat. 3–5pm • “Radio Deluxe” Sat. 5-7pm KBSB–FM 89.7 Bemidji, MN www.fm90.org “Backporch Bluegrass” Thu. 6–9pm Hosts: Arlan Roline and Jerry Brademan KDUZ–AM 1260 Hutchinson, MN “Our Bluegrass Gospel Get–Together” Sun. 5–6am Host: Tim Benoit KFAI–FM 90.3 Minneapolis, MN • “Stone Soup” Wed. 10-12pm, Host: Pam K. • “Good ’n Country” Sat. 3–5pm Host: Ken Hippler • “Womenfolk” Tuesday, 2-4pm, Host: Ellen Stanley • “Freewheelin’” Wed, 2-4pm Host: Jackson Buck KLTF–AM 960, Little Falls, MN “Knee Deep in Bluegrass” Sun. 10pm– 12am Host: Cindy Bockem KMSU–FM 89.7 Mankato, MN and KMSK–FM 91.3 Austin, MN • “Tent Radio Show” Sun. 7–8pm • “Minnesota Morning” Mon.–Fri. 9–12am Host: Amy Triebenbach KRWC–AM 1360 Buffalo, MN • “Inside Bluegrass” Sat. 10am Hosts: Denny O’Brien and Tom Schuveiller • “Bluegrass Review” Sun. 4pm Host: Phil Nusbaum KUMD–FM 103.3 Duluth, MN “Folk Migrations” Sat. 7–midnight KVSC–FM Saint Cloud, MN “Frets” Sat. 6am–noon Host: Wayne Bergerson KYMN–AM 1080 Northfield, MN kymnradio.net “The Long Way Home” Sun. 7–9pm Host: Will Healy WBKV–AM West Bend, WI
“The Bluegrass Show” Sun. 4–6pm Hosts: Dale Palacek and Jim Burch WELY–FM 94.5, AM 1450 Ely, MN • “Big Lake Country Bluegrass Show” Sat. 12–1pm Host: Matt Fetterer • “The Bluegrass Review” Sat. 1–2pm “Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour” Sat. 2–3pm • “Twisted Roots” Mon.–Fri. 10am–2pm Host: Matt Fetterer WOJB–FM 88.9 Hayward, WI “Folkways” Wed. 7:30–midnight Hosts: Carl Solander and Ernie Martinson WORT–FM Madison, WI |WORT– FM.org “Back to the Country” Wed. 9am Host: Bill Malone WRCO–FM 100.9 Richland Center, WI “Roots & Branches” Sun. 4–6pm Host: Gloria Hays WTIP–FM 90.7 Grand Marais, MN “Classic Country” “Rainbow Trout” Sun. 3–9pm Host: Carl Solander WXPR–FM 91.7 Rhinelander, WI “Bluegrass Saturday” Sat. 12–4pm Minnesota Public Radio KSJN 99.5 FM | KNOW FM 91.1, St. Paul “A Prairie Home Companion” Sat. 5–7pm, rebroadcast Sun. 11am North Dakota Public Radio: 90.5 FM/Bismarck–91.9 FM/Beach 91.9 FM/Bowman–89.5 FM/Crary 91.9 FM/Crosby–91.5 FM/Devils Lake 89.9 FM/Dickinson–91.9 FM/Fargo 89/3 FM/Grand Forks–91.9 FM/Harvey 91.9 FM/Hettinger–91.5 FM/Jamestown 91.7 FM/Lakota–88.9 FM/Minot 91.9 FM/Tioga–89/5 FM/Tioga 89.5 FM/Williston–91.9 FM/Plentywood, MT 88.3 FM/Thief River Falls, MN “Old-Time Music” Sun. 12:01am Host: Steve Nelson Wisconsin Public Radio: WHSA–89.9 FM | WHWC–88.3 FM WHRM–90.9 FM | WLBL–93 AM WHLA–90.3 FM | WHA–97 AM WHHI–91.3 FM | WERN–88.7 FM WHAD–90.7 FM • “Simply Folk” Sun. 5–8pm Host: Dan Robinson • “Tent Show Radio” Sat. 7–8pm
August 2017
MBOTMA Member Bands Bluegrass Bands
High Plains Jamboree
Sawtooth Brothers
The Gentlemen’s AntiTemperance League
Highview
The Seldom Heard
anti.temperance.league@gmail.com
Jerome Knopik, 651-208-5565 jerryknopicks01@gmail.com
Bob Andrewson, 715-891-2645 splitshot@yahoo.com
Timbre Junction
Ronilyn Mussared, 815-675-2554 mussared@mchsi.com
Alternate Route
The Alzen Family Brad Alzen, 715-749-3977
Brennen Leigh, 512-507-8435 brennenleigh@icloud.com
JedFest
Jed Malischke jmalisch@centurytel.net
Art Stevenson & Highwater
King Wilkie’s Dream
Assisted Picking
King’s Countrymen
Biscuit Boys
Long Time Gone
Art Stevenson, 715-884-6996 artstevenson@hotmail.com Jon Garon, 612-839-2277 jon@myfavoriteguitars.com Daniel Fish, 763-434-2734 nowandthencountry@gmail.com
Blue Groove
David Smith, 952-974-5121 bluegroovebluegrass@gmail.com
Blue Hazard
Hannah Johnson, 651-500-0747 info@bluehazardband.com
Blue Wolf Duo
Shirley Mauch, 612-724-1482 samauch@worldnet.att.net
Borderstone
Ryan Morgan, 715-781-2989 info@borderstonetheband.com
Broken Heartland String Band
Wilson Goss, 310-310-4198 brokenheartlandstringband@ gmail.co
Buffalo River Ramblers
Marty Solmon, 218-850-8715 mmsolmon@arvig.net
Carver Creek Bluegrass
Julie Monsen, 952-466-2089 carvercreekbluegrass@gmail.com
Chuck Lahr
& The Purdy River Band Chuck Lahr, 563-929-0771 chucklahrmusic@gmail.com
Crow River Junction Tom Gustafson, 320-212-9163 tagus@frontiernet.net
Def Lester
Lincoln Potter, 651-483-0469 potter@umn.edu
Dick Kimmel & Co
Dick Kimmel, 507-359-1163 kimmel@newulmtel.net
The Good Intentions Grass Run Band
Annie Rude, 319-230-7403 annierude@aol.com
Halvorson Family Band
Loren Halvorson, 507-345-7431 loren@birchcovesoftware.com
Hand Picked Bluegrass
Joe Cronick, 715-966-6463
handpickedbluegrass@charter.net
August 2017
Lorn Schultz, 715-495-5275 schultzfam92@yahoo.com
Ben Manning, 651-448-8216 mndawg@gmail.com
The Lost Tracks
David Tousley, 612-788-2995 dtousley@gmail.com
Mahlstedt Family
Isaiah Mahlstedt, 320-583-2255 isaiah@procaremn,com
Mark Kreitzer Band Mark Kreitzer, 612-724-7334 mark@markkreitzer.com
The Middle Spunk Creek Boys
Alan Jesperson, 612-727-2489 alanjesp@gmail.com
Monroe Crossing
Art Blackburn, 763-213-1349 art@monroecrossing.com
No Man’s String Band Nic Hentges, 612-387-0196 nihentges@gmail.com
Noah John & Ringing Iron
Noah John Klingeisen, 920-229-5283 noahjohnklingseisen@gmail.com
Olive Sings
Kayla Zoltak, 715-296-0998 olivesingsmusic@gmail.com
Ophoven Family Band Molli Ophoven, 218-327-2058 jmophoven@q.com
The Platte Valley Boys Ron Colby, 651-458-0804 roncolby@comcast.net
Porcupine Creek
Sarah Birkeland, 218-624-1781 arahsay328@gmail.com
Prairiegrass
Bonnie Hallett, 701-429-1666 bkhallett@yahoo.com
Pride of the Prairie Bill Cagley, 651-636-9542 bcagley@comcast.net
Rainbolt Mountain Project
David Kuenstler, 763-268-9291 orthotree1@hotmail.com
Riverside Bog Stompers
David Darnell, 218-260-6546 davestreetrod@hotmail.com
Sarah Mae & The Birkeland Boys Wendy Birkeland, 218-624-1781 arahsay328@gmail.com
Gary Cobus, 612-859-9013 garycobi@charter.net
Karen Radford, 612-623-0261 KarenJRadford@eaton.com
Tony Rook Band
Tony Rook, 612-669-3511 tonyrook57@gmail.com
Trackside
David Anderson, 952-474-0981 renee_ballroom2@yahoo.com
The Woodpicks
Joel Kezar, 218-681-2148 kezarmusic@mncable.net
Daniel Rosen, 218-464-2887
Georgia Rae Band
Tom Draughon, 715-682-9362 tom@heartistry.com
Hole in the Bucket
John Trelstad, 701-212-0015 jdtrelstad@aol.com
Mark Rubbert, 612-387-8189 mjrubbert@gmail.com
John Wenstrom, 651-500-0671 wenstrom11@yahoo.com
Karen Mueller & Friends
Mary DuShane, 612-715-5090 marydushane@gmail.com
Benji Flaming
Benji Flaming, 612-326-6521 mbotma@benjiflaming.com
Bernie King & The Guilty Pleasures Bernie King, 763-242-6943 bkandthegps@gmail.com
Bill & Kate Isles
Bill Isles, 218-340-4404 bill@billandkateisles.com
Blessings Gospel Trio Timothy Johnson, 763-464-3481 timkarin@comcast.net
The Common Ground Company Jordan Wadkins II,605-237-6178 jorgen.wadkins@gmail.com
Cousin Dad
John Soderberg, 612-441-7382 john.soderberg@gmail.com
Curtis & Loretta
Loretta Simonet, 612-781-9537 loretta@curtisandloretta.com
Don D Harvey & the Ultrasonic Duo
Switched At Birth
The Hacklewrappers
Vicki Andersen, 952-457-7672 glorylandgb@gmail.com
Barb Carlson, 763-784-7881 Blinkbug@aol.com
Brian Wicklund, 651-402-5435 brian@fiddlepal.com
Roger Cuthbertson rojo@visi.com
Rick Anderson, 651-230-2431 ricktune56@gmail.com
Karen Mueller, 612-270-4740 karen@karenmueller.com
The Barley Jacks With Brian Wicklund
String Beans, Chick Pea & Garbonzo
Gloryland Gospel Band
Related Bands Barb & Gary
Steven Howard, 952-595-9819 hsteven02617@gmail.com
Mary DuShane & Nick Jordan Mother Banjo
Ellen Stanley, 612-281-12364 motherbanjo@gmail.com
New Riverside Ramblers
Karen Kleinspehn, 612-724-4687 info@newriversideramblers.com
Now and Then
Daniel Fish, 763-786-2524 nowandthencountry@gmail.com
One Ukulele
Aaron Lockridge, 612-670-3941 alockridge@gmail.com
True Grass
Tucker’d Out
Old-Time Bands A Time to Dance
Terrence Smith, 218-728-1438
Bob & Lynn Dixon Lynn Dixon, 612-377-6819 lmdixon45@gmail.com
Bob Bovee & Pop Wagner
Bob Bovee, 507-498-5452 bobbovee46@gmail.com
The Bootlickers
Irina Rossi, rinarossi@gmail.com
The Broadfork String Band
Aaaron Murray, 612-816-0646 aaron.murry@zieglercat.com
Dick Kimmel & Pam Longtine
Dick Kimmel kimmel@newulmtel.net
Pants on a Chair
The Eelpout Stringers
Pert’ Near Sandstone
Four Mile Portage
Dewy Roy Hucklenut wenstrom11@yahoo.com
Pat May, 612-998-8647 patmay@crossovertouring.com
Pushing Chain
Boyd Blomberg, 218-370-0910 boyd@pushingchain.com
The Radio Wranglers
Karl Burke, 651-784-7323 bltfolk@aol.com
Tom Maloney, 18-464-3808 fourmileportage@gmail.com
The Gritpickers
Rob Daves, 612-822-0085 gritpickers@gmail.com
Poor Benny
Blaine McQuinn, 608-728-2455 blaine.mcquinn@gmail.com
David Furniss, 651-699-0557 dfurniss50@gmail.com
Rosby Corner
The Roe Family Singers
Jeanne Marti, 763-559-7552 romarti3@aol.com
S R Dugan
Donald Harvey, 608-781-3456 dondharvey@centurytel.net
Shawn Dugan, 952-737-7705 srdugan@gmail.com
Thomas Peschges, 612-232-5292 tompeschges@gmail.com
Holle Brian, 612-822-6593 holleb@aol.com
Quillan Roe, 612-599-0266 pappyroe@yahoo.com
Rush River Ramblers Eric Hatling, 715-772-4421 ehatling@gmail.com
Double Down Daredevils
Scrapegoat Skin & Bones
Due North
Sherry Minnick & Jackson Buxton
Tickwood String Band
Sloughgrass
Wild Goose Chase Cloggers
Louise Wiermaa, 218-721-5250 lew3355@hotmail.com
The Fish Heads
Kim Curtis-Monson, 218-8315181 - KMonson802@aol.com
The Flemming Fold
Sandra Flemming, 952-758-7522 troynsandra@hotmail.com
Gated Community
Sumath Gopinath, 612-332-2006 thegatedcommunity@gmail.com
Sherry Minnick, 651-644-8682 minnicksherry@gmail.com Soren Olesen, 218-634-2800 sloughgrass@gmail.com
Spiritwood Homesteaders Linda Schwartz, 701-659-3154 lspollanthra@gmail.com
Steven Earl Howard Hillbilly Music
St. Paul Mudsteppers Michael Sawyer, 651-698-7520 unarnedjounal@hotmail.com
Doug Wells, 218-736-4469 betsyanddougwells@gmail.com
Jim Brooks, 612-419-4576 brooks@csp.edu
Wink The Other Eye
David Gourhan, 651-674-8668 dgourh@aol.com
29
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Chris Silver, 651.491.4013 chrissilverband@gmail.com
Robbi Podrug, 612-562-8402 booking@kwdream.com
MJ Moravec, 507-990-6456 info@sawtoothbrothers.com
Coming Up Venue abbreviations
318: The 318 Café, 318 Water Street, Excelsior, 952-401-7902, www.three-eighteen.com 331C: 331 Club, 331 13th Ave NE, Mpls, 612-331-1746, www.331.mn AGr: Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe, 394 S Lake Ave, Duluth, 218-723-0075, www.amazinggraceduluth.com APHC: “A Prairie Home Companion,” Minnesota Public Radio AST: Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main St, Mpls, 612-379-3138, www. astercafe.com BSC: Black Sheep Coffee Cafe, 705 Southview Blvd., South St. Paul, 651-554-0155, www.blacksheepcoffee.com BTC: Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, Bayfield, WI, 888-244-8368, www.bigtop.org BoDD: BoDiddley’s Pub and Deli, 129 25th Ave S, St. Cloud, 320-252-9475 CED: Cedar Cultural Center, 415 Cedar Ave S, Mpls, 612-3382674, www.thecedar.org CJ: Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave, St Paul, 651-330-4685, www. thecelticjunction.com CrH: Creek House Concerts, www.creekhouseconcerts.com, 651-633-5353. MUST call and reserve for these events. DAK: Dakota Jazz Club, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls, 612-332-1010, www.dakotacooks.com DUL: Dulono’s Pizza, 607 W Lake St, Mpls, 612-827-1726, www. dulonos.com DuG: Dunn Brothers on Grand, 1569 Grand Ave, St. Paul EAG: Eagles Club, 2507 E 25th St, Mpls, 612-729-4469, www.Mplseagles34.org
FITZ: Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E Exchange St, St Paul, 651-2901200, www.fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org GINK: Ginkgo Coffeehouse, 721 N Snelling Ave, St Paul, 651-645-2647, www.ginkgocoffee.com GKb: Grand Kabaret, 210 N Minnesota St, New Ulm, 507-3599222, www.thegrandnewulm.com HOB: The Loft at Hobgoblin Music, 920 State Hwy 19, Red Wing, 877-866-3936, www.stoneyend.com MER: Merlins Rest, 3601 E Lake St, Mpls, 612-216-2419 OAK: Oak Center General Store, 67011 Hwy 63, Lake City, 507-753-2080, www.oakcentergeneralstore.com RIV: Riverview Café & Wine Bar, 3747 42nd Ave S, Mpls, 612-7294200, theriverview.com ROCK: Rockwoods, 9100 Quaday Ave NE, Elk River, 763-2224353, www.nograsslimit.com/RockwoodsCalendar.html SHL: Sheldon Theatre, 443 W 3rd St, Red Wing, 800-899-5759, www.sheldontheatre.org TAP: Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Ave S, Mpls, 612-722-2914, www.tapestryfolkdance.org UMC: Underground Music Café, 1579 Hamline Ave N, Falcon Hts, 651-644-9959, undergroundmusiccafe.com VC: Vieux Carre, 408 St Peter St, St Paul, 651-291-2715, vieuxcarre.com WmH: The Warming House, 4001 Bryant Ave S, lower level, Mpls, 877-987-6487, thewarminghouse.net ZUM: Crossings at Carnegie, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, 507-7327616, www.crossingsatcarnegie.com
To post gigs and events to this calendar, request the link to our online submission form to editor@minnesotabluegrass.org
SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS August 7 Monday
Ricky Skaggs and Accoustic Thunder
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicolet Mall Minneapolis, MN 7pm
7/28 – Friday
• Mary DuShane & Nick Jordan, Ingredients Cafe, White Bear Lake, 6pm • Recfest with Tony Rook Band, Sarah Mae and The Birkeland Boys, Blue Groove, The Double Down Daredevils, Porcupine Creek, more,
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August 10-13 Thursday-Sunday
August 18 Friday
Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival
John McEuen
Milaca, www.milacarecfest.com • Daisy Dillman Acoustic, 318, 8pm • Martin Zellar, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 7pm • Monroe Crossing, Lakes Area Community Center, 112 Main St, Battle Lake, 7pm • The Fish Heads, Sir Benedict’s Tavern
on the Lake, 805 E. Superior St., Duluth, 218-728-1192, 7pm • Olive Sings, Verse Lounge and Grill, LaCrosse, WI
El Rancho Manana Richmond, MN
Dakota Jazz Club 1010 Nicolet Mall Minneapolis, MN 7pm
7/29 – Saturday
• Recfest with Tony Rook Band, Sarah Mae and The Birkeland Boys, Blue Groove, The Double Down August 2017
LaPlant Instruments maker of fine mandolins & guitars
Buy - Trade Sell - Repair (stringed instruments)
31751 LaPlant Road Grand Rapids, MN 55744 218-326-4456 Daredevils, Porcupine Creek, more, Milaca, www.milacarecfest.com • Dusty Heart, ZUM, 8pm • The Gated Community, Midtown Farmers Market, 2225 E Lake St, Mpls, 9am • Broken Heartland String Band, Inbound Brewing, 701 N 5th St, Mpls, 612-615-8243, 7pm • Mother Banjo, Club Passim, 47 Palmer Street, Cambridge, MA, (617) 492-7679, 8pm • Alternate Route, BSC, 10am • Curtis & Loretta, Farmstead Creamery & Cafe, 11077N Fullington Rd, Hayward, WI, 6pm • Olive Sings, East Bay Lodge, Holcombe, WI • TrueGrass, Historic Ironwood Theatre, Ironwood, MI • Trinity Irish Dance Company, BTC, 7:30 PM
7/30 – Sunday
7/31 – Monday
• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 8pm • Roe Family Singers, Rum River Library, 6th Av, Anoka, 12:30pm • New Riverside Ramblers, EAG, 7:30 pm • Steele Arundel, AST, 8pm
8/1 Tuesday August 2017
8/2 – Wednesday
• Becky Thompson and Old School, Northrup Plaza, U of MN, 12pm • Roe Family Singers, Nokomis Farmers Market, 5167 Chicago Ave S, Mpls, 5pm • Sister Tree, 331C, 9:30pm • The Langer’s Ball, Dubliner Pub, 2162 University Ave, St Paul, 9pm
8/3 – Thursday
• Chris Holtmeier Trio, 318, 8pm • Blue Groove, KleinBank Concert Series, City Center Park Plaza, 7700 Market Blvd, Chanhassen, 7pm • Georgia Rae Family Band, Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago • The Swamp Poppas, EAG, 7:30pm
8/4 - Friday
• Ace in The Whole, GKb, 8pm • Bonnie and The Clydes, Contented Cow, 302B Division St S, Northfield, 8pm • Erik Brandt & The Hillbilly Quartet, UMC, 7pm • Blue Groove, Chaska City Square Park, 300 Chestnut St, Chaska, 7pm • Antje Duvekot, WmH, 8pm
8/5 – Saturday
• Betty And Ocho, GKb, 8pm • Fred Montana, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 6pm • Greenwood Tree, Prior Lake Farmers Market, Main St Prior Lake, 9am • Hot Tuna, DAK, 7pm • Sawyers Dream, 318, 8pm • Alternate Route, BSC, 10am • Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, BTC, 7:30pm • Contra Dance with Fiddle Buddies, TAP, 7:30pm • WI State Fair Fiddle and Banjo Contest, Expo Center, WI State Fair grounds, 12pm
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
• Molly Maher, 331C, 3pm • Monroe Crossing, Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4100 Lyndale Ave So, Mpls, 9am • Steve Earle & The Dukes (Cactus Blossoms open), Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley, 7pm • Olive Sings, The View, Chippewa Falls, WI • Blue Drifters Trio, George Green Park, 1498 6th Ave S, Anoka, 763576-2980, 7pm • Bob & Lynn Dixon, Kingfield Farmers Market, 4310 Nicollet Ave S, Mpls, 10am
• Greenwood Tree, Plymouth Concert in The Park, 3450 Plymouth Blvd, Plymouth, 7pm • The Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm • Rough Draft Songwriter Night, WmH, 8pm • Bob & Lynn Dixon, Midtown Farmers Market, 2225 E Lake St, Mpls, 3:30pm
8/6 – Sunday
• Monroe Crossing, Zion Lutheran Barn Dance, 17762 97th St SE, Becker, 5pm • Pert Near Sandstone, Riverside Concerts, Mayo Park, 30 Civic Center Dr SE, Rochester, 7pm • Blue Groove, Music in Park, Klapprich Park, 340 Park St E, 31
Wayzata, 4:30 • Dan Israel & Friends, Wolfe Park, 3700 Montgomery Dr, St Louis Park, 6pm • Open Mic, WmH, 6:30pm
8/7 – Monday
• Ricky Skaggs and Accoustic Thunder, DAK, 7pm • Roe Family Singers, 331C, 8pm • Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra, Como Dockside, 1360 Lexington Pkwy N, St Paul, 7pm
8/8 – Tuesday
• Farmer and Adele, Leo and Leona’s, W1436 WI-33, Bangor, WI, 8pm • Roe Family Singers, Forest Lake Farmers Market, 95 E Broadway,
Forest Lake, 6pm • The Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm • Rough Draft Songwriter Night, WmH, 8pm
8/9 – Wednesday
• Brian Wicklund and Mike Cramer, Landmark Center, 75 5th St W St Paul, 12pm • Greenwood Tree, Heritage Hillside Concert, 100 Heritage Dr, New Richmond, WI, 6:30pm • Roe Family Singers, Wee Wednesday, Global Market, 920 E Lake St, Mpls, 10:30am • The Barley Jacks, Landmark Center, 75 5th St W, St Paul, 12pm • Curtis & Loretta, Dakota City
Heritage Village, Dakota County Fairgrounds, 4008 220th St W, Farmington, 5pm
8/10 – Thursday
• The Barley Jacks, Minnewaska Community Health Services, Glenwood, 8pm • Mary Black, BTC, 7:30pm • Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, El Rancho Manana, Richmond • Jasper Lepak, Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Mpls, 7:30pm
8/11 – Friday
• Brian Keith Wallen, Leo and Leona’s, W1436 WI-33, Bangor, WI, 7:30pm • Charlie Parr, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 6pm • Irish Fair, Harriet Island, St Paul • Jim Pelinger, Contented Cow, 302B Division St S, Northfield, 9pm • John Gorka, AGr, 7pm • Mary Bue and Jessica Skillar, 318, 8pm • Jack Williams, CrH
8/12 – Saturday
• Bill Hartong and Grant Dawson, 318, 8pm • Irish Fair, Harriet Island, St Paul, • John Gorka, AGr, 7pm • Monroe Crossing, Kasson Festival in The Park, 201 7th NW, Kasson, 6:15pm • Alternate Route, BSC, 10am • Michael Monroe, Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Mpls, 7:30pm • Contra Dance with Pat O’Loughlin & Friends, TAP, 7:30pm
8/13 – Sunday
• Irish Fair, Harriet Island, St Paul • Kevin Prater Band, Leo and Leona’s, W1436 WI-33, Bangor, WI, 7pm • Rain City Ramblers, Leo and Leona’s, W1436 WI-33, Bangor, WI, 8pm • Open Mic, WmH, 6:30pm
8/14 – Monday MinnesotaBluegrass.org
• Jim Pelinger, RIV, 8pm • Roe Family Singers, 331C, 8pm • Roe Family Singers, Highland Library, 1974 Ford Pkwy St Paul, 2pm
8/15 – Tuesday
• Rebel Fiddle, 318, 8pm • The Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm • Rough Draft Songwriter Night, WmH, 8pm
8/16 – Wednesday
• The Langer’s Ball, Dubliner Pub, 2162 University Ave, St Paul, 9pm
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August 2017
• Annie Humphrey & Dustin Hatzenbuhler, Loring Park, Mpls, 11:30am
8/17 – Thursday
• Irish Ensemble, UMC, 5pm • Monroe Crossing, Long Lake Thursday Night at The Park, Memorial Park, Long Lake, 7pm • Roe Family Singers, Dakota Cty Library Block Party, 20085 Heritage Dr, Lakeville, 6:30pm • Rush Parrish, 318, 8pm • SEMBA August Bluegrass Festival, featuring Special Consensus, The Bluegrass Martins, Southern Gentlemen, Tony Rook Band, Blue Wolf, Biscuit Boys, Houston, 507-8648109 • The Peace Life, Bobby Ryden, WmH, 8pm
8/18 – Friday
• John McEuen, DAK, 7pm • Faith Boblett, 331C, 10pm • Roe Family Singers, Midtown Global Market, 920 E Lake St, Mpls, 5:30pm • The Skally Line, GKb, 8pm • Tab Benoit, BTC, 7:30pm • Mary DuShane & Nick Jordan, Ingredients Cafe, White Bear Lake, 6pm
8/19 – Saturday
8/20 – Sunday
• No Man’s String Band, Lake Harriet Bandshell, Mpls, 2pm
August 2017
Bluegrass banjo lessons, Scruggs style, melodic, fiddle tunes and improvisation. Beginners to advanced. I picked up the banjo in the 1960’s and have taught since the 1970’s. I have played in many bands including Buckacre, A Pretty Good Bluegrass Band and was a founding member of Tangled Roots. Currently playing with Long Time Gone and Def Lester. I am a member of the Minnesota Rock/ Country Hall of Fame and was voted MBOTMA’S favorite banjo player on their 25th anniversary. I adjust coaching to the individual to get you where you want to go. Playing banjo can be a lifelong joy and I try to make it a fun experience. • Open Mic, WmH, 6:30pm
8/21 – Monday
• Karen Folman and Aubrey Weger, RIV, 8pm • Roe Family Singers, 331C, 8pm
8/22 – Tuesday
• The Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm • Rough Draft Songwriter Night, WmH, 8pm
8/23 – Wednesday
• Jerry Douglas Band, DAK, 7pm • The Barefoot Movement, CED, 7:30pm • Dave Rawlings Machine, Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 800-982-2787, 8pm
8/24 – Thursday
• Hermitage Green, CJ, TBA • Gaelic Storm, BTC, 7:30pm • Mother Banjo, Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Mpls, 7:30pm • Dailey & Vincent, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 3:30pm, 4:45pm • The Barley Jacks, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm
8/25 – Friday
• Dan Schwartz & Gabriel Andrews, 318, 8pm • The Barley Jacks, Minnesota State Fair, St Paul, 3pm • Locklin Road, Charlie’s Irish Pub, 101 Water St, Stillwater, 7:30pm • Dailey & Vincent, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 3:30pm, 4:45pm • The Barley Jacks, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm
8/26 – Saturday
• Billy McLaughlin, 318, 8pm
$25 for ½ hour $45 for 1 hour Barry St. Mane 612-860-2463 bluegrass1@me.com
• George Faber, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 2pm • Alternate Route, BSC, 10am • Eelpout Stringers, Whitetail Woods Regional Park, 17100 Station Trail, Farmington, 6pm • Locklin Road, Charlie’s Irish Pub, 101 Water St, Stillwater, 7:30pm • Minnesota State Fiddle Contest, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm • The Pines, West End Market, State Fair, 8pm • Krewe de Walleye, Cosgrove Stage, State Fair • Contra Dance with Light of the Moon, TAP, 7:30pm • Community Sing, WmH, 10am • Mary DuShane & Nick Jordan, MN Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska, 12pm
8/27 – Sunday
• Roe Family Singers, Music in The Parks, Longville, 5pm • David Bromberg Quintet, CED, 8pm • Minnesota State Fiddle Contest, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm • The Pines, West End Market, State Fair, 8pm • Open Mic, WmH, 6:30pm
8/28 – Monday
• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 8pm • Minnesota Mandolin Orchestra, Lake Harriet Bandshell, 4135 W Lake Harriet Pkwy, Mpls, 7:30pm • Root River Jam, Nicollet Island Park, Mpls, 7pm • The Riddle Brothers, West End Market, State Fair, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm 33
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
• Aimee Lee and The Snazzy Band, 318, 8pm • Monroe Crossing, Next Chapter Winery, 16945 320th St., New Prague, 7pm • Nici Peper, Falconer Vineyards, 3572 Old Tyler Rd, Red Wing, 2pm • Bob Bovee & Chuck Horneman, Lanesboro Barn Dance, Sons of Norway Hall, Lanesboro, 8pm • Alternate Route, BSC, 10am • Now and Then Band, Nowthen Threshing Show, Nowthen, www. nowthenthreshing.com, 10am • Roy Book Binder, CrH • New London Music Festival, with Green Lake Bluegrass, Charlie Parr, more, New London, newlondonmusicfestival.com, • Contra Dance with Compass Rose String Band, TAP, 7:30pm • Bob & Lynn Dixon, Fulton Farmers Market, 4901 Chowen Ave S, Mpls, 10am • Tony Rook Band, Butterfield Threshing Bee, Butterfield,
Banjo Lessons
• Pat Donohue, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm • Pop Wagner & Bob Bovee, Ramberg Center, State Fair, 10:30am, 11:45am, 1pm • The Slew Foot Family Band, Ramberg Center, State Fair, 3:15pm, 4;30pm, 5:45pm
8/29 – Tuesday
Rouillard Ave, Rogers, 6:30pm • Bobby & Christine, Minnehaha Regional Park, 4801 S Minnehaha Dr, Mpls, 7pm • Alpensterne, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 10:30am, 11:45am • Redhead Express, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 1pm, 2:30pm
• Boiled In Lead, Minnesota History Center, 345 Kellogg Blvd W, St Paul, 6:30pm • The Jugg Sluggers, RIV, 7pm • The Riddle Brothers, West End Market, State Fair, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30 pm • Pat Donohue, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm • Pop Wagner & Bob Bovee, Ramberg Center, State Fair, 3:15pm, 4:30pm, 5:45pm • The Slew Foot Family Ban, Ramberg Center, State Fair, 10:30am, 11:45am, 1pm • Rough Draft Songwriter Night, WmH, 8pm
8/30 – Wednesday
• Kathy Mahoney, 318, 8pm • Lenz and Frenz, 331C, 9:30pm • Blue Groove, Triangle Park, 24100
8/31 – Thursday
• Greenwood Tree, Centennial Lakes Farmers Market, 7499 France Ave So, Edina, 3:45pm • Monroe Crossing, Grand Marais Playhouse, Arrowhead Cntr, 51 W 5th, Grand Marais, 7:30pm • Nathan Anderson, 318, 8pm • Alpensterne, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 11:45am • Redhead Express, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 1pm, 2:30pm
9/1 – Friday
• Brass Lassie, International Bazaar, State Fair, 10:45am, 12 pm, 1:15pm • Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, West End Market, State Fair, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm • Minnesota Americana/Roots Music Contests, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm, Presented by MBOTMA
9/2 – Saturday
• Alternate Route, BSC, 10am • Georgia Rae Family Band, Walworth County Fair, Elkhorn, WI, • Bonnie Raitt, BTC, 7:30pm • Brass Lassie, International Bazaar, State Fair, 10:45am, 12 pm 1:15 pm • Wild Goose Chase Cloggers, West End Market, State Fair, 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm • Minnesota Americana/Roots Music Contests, West End Market, State Fair, 3pm, Presented by MBOTMA • Contra Dance with Pat’s Propellers, TAP, 7:30pm • Georgia Rae Family Band, Walworth County Fair, Elkhorn, WI,
9/3 – Sunday
• Monroe Crossing, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 10:30am, 11:45am
9/4 – Monday
• Monroe Crossing, Leinie Lodge Bandshell, State Fair, 10:30am, 11:45am • Laughing Waters Bluegrass Festival, Minnehaha Park, Mpls, 1-7pm, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Becky Thompson and Old School, Middle Spunk Creek Boys, King Wilkie’s Dream, Sawtooth Brothers
Wegen’s Guitar Picks ®
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
6625 Penn Ave. S. Richfield, MN 55423 (612) 861-3308
www.homesteadpickinparlor.com folkmuse@aol.com and you can find us on Facebook
Making the world safe for discerning fans of Traditional Music since 1979
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Michel Wegen is a recognized Dutch model maker using sculpting and airbrush art techniques to meet the needs of clients such as theme parks, ad agencies and museums. In his search for new markets, Michel some years ago took on the design of the lowly pick. The results have been phenomenal. Wegen Picks endanger no animal species, and they are a fraction of the price of the illegal picks that do. We have eight models for guitar and mandolin on hand in a variety of thicknesses. Try one out on your next visit.
August 2017
Tab: Denver Belle By Bob Douglas
Time to cover a tune that has become a bluegrass beauty, Denver Belle. It’s a traditional tune most often associated with Kenny Baker who claimed, “I’ll tell you what, I never heard nobody play that, but my people. My daddy played it, my grandpa played it. I even had an aunt who played it. I never heard nobody else play it.” It was recorded on the 1970 “Baker’s Dozen,” County 730, as well as the 1973 “Dry and Dusty: Kenny Baker plays the Old Tunes,” County 744. There are several YouTube recordings of Baker playing the tune both in person and from album tracks. Recommended listening if you are unfamiliar with the tune. Denver Belle is a lively tune with a key change from C to G in the B part. The version I’m sharing is an amalgamation of Baker and Paul Warren who played the tune with Flatt and Scruggs (and possibly the notation includes some meddling of my own). There are quite a few bluegrass players who have recorded Denver Belle with their own variations on fiddle, banjo, and mandolin. One amazing video clip I personally enjoy is from a favorite mandolinist (and Minnesota’s own!), Joe K. Walsh. You are hopefully already familiar with him, but if not, Joe was Berklee College of Music’s first graduate on the mandolin. He helped form and started playing with Joy Kills Sorrow while still a Berklee student, and then followed that group with the New England Bluegrass Band, Northern Lights, and the Gibson Brothers. Darol Anger called Joe “one of my favorite musicians on earth.” He is presently a mandolin instructor at Berklee and, when not gigging on the road, Joe plays every Monday night at Otto Pizza in Portland, Maine, where he now makes his home. Pizza and bluegrass seem to be a combination that works for most of us. Back to that clip of Denver Belle, it’s from a 2014 New Hampshire house concert he performed with Courtney Hartman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxiY4hSmxK4 Check it out. It just might open up some new improvisational ideas for you. Enjoy the tune and as many of the summer festivals and sessions while they are in the great outdoors! Bob Douglas 651-778-1395
MinnesotaBluegrass.org
August 2017
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Non-ProямБt Org. U.S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit 343
MINNESOTA BLUEGRASS & OLD-TIME MUSIC ASSOCIATION P.O. BOX 16408 Mpls, MN 55416
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Nickel Creek - Minesota Bluegrass & Old-time Music festival 1998 Photo by Doug Lohman