Great to see our local area musicians get some nice attention for their bluegrass skills! Rob Lawson, from the Toledo, Ohio bluegrass scene, has announced his first two volumes in an new mandolin instruction series called Hot Mandolin Licks. He is the hot mandolin player for the band Deepwater Bluegrass as well as his family band, the North End String Band. He has teamed up with Sherri Chekal to produce this first offering from Westvon Publishing.

Introducing Hot Mandolin Licks Premier Product Offering: Hot Mando Licks Volume 1 & 2
Pick the Licks the Pros Know – An instructional product designed to help spice up improvisational mandolin players.

So often mandolin players are looking for the magic bullet to spice up their playing and will turn to complete tabbed breaks to try and isolate bits and pieces to help brighten up their playing and improvisation. However, it’s difficult to hear the “licks” and isolate them. With the Hot Mandolin Licks series of products, the player will find 50 great licks for their playing, in both tab and audio recordings for a special low price of only $9.99 for a download or $14.99 for each CD and Ebook. No need to spend a fortune and any one of these great licks will really add to the player repertoire of musical licks!

Created by Rob Lawson, an accomplished bluegrass, blues and rock player, these licks are original and ready to please. Each lick is individually recorded and ready for practice sessions to ease them into the player’s arsenal of material. Free sample licks and a free informational newsletter are also available at the site.

There are now three varieties of Hot Licks available for banjo, guitar and mandolin. Fiddle Licks are in the works and due out next as well as more titles for the original three instruments.

The website is ready to provide any additional information that you may need. www.HotMandolinLicks.com

Tickets are now available for the Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival coming up August 15th, 2010…

Click HERE to Learn more!

Harsens Island is located in St. Clair County near the Detroit metropolitan area. The 39-mile long St. Clair River has recreational harbors in St. Clair and Marine City before the river divides into several branches at its mouth, creating the island strewn St. Clair Flats. Harsens Island, the largest of the islands on the American side, was once a resort for the wealthy who arrived on steamers from Detroit. Today, Harsens Island and the St. Clair Flats area comprises one of the largest inland fresh water deltas in the world. This area is referred to as “The Blue Water Area,” and boating, hunting and fishing are all highlights of the community. There are fishing tournaments galore in the summertime, as well as sailing, beach activities, beautiful parks for picnicking and hiking, great golfing and camping. In Fall, there are miles of scenic drives through a kaleidoscope of changing colors, cider mills and apple tree farms to explore. Nearby Algonac State Park contains 1500 acres along the St. Clair River and offers modern campsites, picnic shelters and riverfront activities. One of the most unique – and free – attractions on Harsens Island is ship watching. Stand by and watch ocean-going freighters pass by so close you can almost reach out and touch them! — Michigan Vacations.com

And besides… how many Michigan Bluegrass Festivals do you get to go to that you get to ride a ferry over!!! How Fun!

Right now, just $140 covers four days of award-winning music with camping included. Advance price of $155 starts May 1st. Buy now and get the best deal! ONLINE TICKETS

See Sam Bush Sat, July 17 at Grey Fox.

Hosted by Dry Branch Fire Squad, this year’s all-star lineup features Sam Bush, Kathy Mattea, Tim O’Brien, David Grisman, Doyle Lawson, Del McCoury, Gibson Brothers, Railroad Earth, Greensky Bluegrass, Greencards, Crooked Still, Donna the Buffalo, Special Consensus, Della Mae, Sarah Jarosz, Josh Williams, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus, Hillbenders, Buddy Merriam, Professors of Bluegrass plus red-hot dance bands, workshop artists and MORE!

Phone Orders (U.S.): 1.888.946.8495
International Orders: 315.724.4473
Click for Online Orders

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
2009 IBMA Bluegrass Event of the Year
On the Walsh Farm, Oak Hill, NY
July 15-18, 2010

Join us on Facebook for monthly giveaways!

Forward this message to a friend.

Thank you. We hope to see you there,
All of us at Grey Fox

Watch for our new web site… launching in May!

Band Featured on World Wide Bluegrass and
Sirius/XM Track By Track Special

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers continue to promote their new Rebel Records release Rambler’s Call during WorldWide Bluegrass Music Month in May. The band will kick-off the celebration when Joe Mullins interviews live with Gracie Muldoon on WorldWideBluegrass.com on Saturday, May 1st at 9:30pm EST.

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers visited recently with Sirius/XM’s Kyle Cantrell for a Track By Track special. The special will feature every cut from Rambler’s Call and an interview with the band. The show will air on Bluegrass Junction (Sirius channel 65 or XM channel 14) on Wednesday, May 5th at 9:00am EST with rebroadcasts on Thursday, May 6th at 9:00pm EST and Sunday, May 9th at 11:00am EST.

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers will also celebrate Bluegrass Month with several shows across the country. The band will headline the Appalachian Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio on Saturday, May 8th. They’ll followup that performance with an appearance at the Amvets Post 61 Bluegrass Festival in Hillsboro, Ohio on Friday, May 28th. On Saturday, May 29th, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers will join Bluegrass legend, Ralph Stanley for the Hills of Home Bluegrass Festival in Coeburn, Virginia.

Joe Mullins is a southwestern Ohio native who has been a recognizable banjo player, vocalist and radio broadcaster for 25 years. Mullins toured and recorded as a founding member of the band Traditional Grass until 1995, when he purchased WBZI Radio in Xenia, Ohio. Mullins recorded and performed with the band Longview, earning Song of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year awards from the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) in the late 1990’s. He was honored by winning an Instrumental Recording of the Year award in 2001 from the IBMA for his banjo work on Rebel Record’s Knee Deep in Bluegrass. Mullins was also one of many artists in 2006 sharing Album of the Year honors for Celebration of Life, on Skaggs Family Records. Mullins owns an Ohio network of radio stations, adding WKFI in Wilmington and WEDI in Eaton recently. Most weekdays he is on the air from 1 until 3 p.m. featuring Bluegrass and Bluegrass Gospel music on all three stations and web-casting at www.myclassiccountry.com. He was a 2010 SPBGMA (Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America) nominee for Broadcaster of the Year and Promoter of the Year for his very popular Southern Ohio Indoor Music Festival and WBZI was nominated for Bluegrass Radio Station of the Year.

The Ohio based band formed in 2006, has developed a classic Bluegrass blend that has made them one of the most requested artists in the mid-west area. Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers includes four solid and experienced musicians who are fully at home with Joe and present a highly dynamic sound: Adam McIntosh on guitar and vocals, Evan McGregor on fiddle, Mike Terry on mandolin and vocals and Tim Kidd on bass.

For more information on Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers including music and tour dates, please visit www.RadioRamblers.com.

Photographed left to right: Adam McIntosh, Joe Mullins, Kyle Cantrell, Mike Terry, Tim Kidd.
Photo Credit: Kimberly Williams

Owensboro Concerts, LLC presents the 9th Annual Bluegrass Returns to its Roots Festival,
April 23-24, 2010, in the newly renovated indoor Diamond Lake Resort Theater. Owensboro Concerts, LLC presented The Diamond Lake Gospel Jubilee in the theater this past weekend, April 17, 2010. Both the gospel artists and the audience hailed the newly renovated theater as an excellent choice for musical events offering great acoustics and a comfortable atmosphere.

J.D. Crowe and The New South will be the featured bluegrass musicians for the 9th annual event that was held 7 years at The Executive Inn Rivermont and in 2009 at the RiverPark Center. Local and regional bluegrass artists will also take the stage. Diamond Lake Resort offers a different atmosphere where one can enjoy the sounds of bluegrass. Campers, bluegrass fans, and families can experience a very special event at a spectacular location. Ole South Barbeque, bluegrass workshops, showcases, jamming, clogging,
and more will make this one festival that you will not want to miss!

Born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky, J.D. Crowe picked up the banjo when he was 13 years old, inspired by one of the Flatt & Scruggs’ performances on the Kentucky Barn
Dance. After that show, he regularly attended the duo’s performances sitting on the front row and studying Scruggs’ revolutionary picking. That was just the beginning of his legendary career. J.D. Crowe, a member of the distinguished Bluegrass Hall of Fame, is one of the few bluegrass legends actively recording, writing, and performing this American form of music.

Festival Schedule of Events

Friday, April 23, 2010: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Open jamming on the main stage. A chance for individuals and bands to show their
talent and share with the audience. Sign up when you arrive and get ready to take
the stage!

Saturday, April 24, 2010:
Bluegrass Showcase Bands
Diamond Lake Theater Main Stage

10:00-10:45 a.m. Chasin’ Chickens
11:00-11:45 a.m. Blackberry Jam
12:00 Noon-12:30 p.m. Emily Wills & The Whitelys
12:30-1:00 p.m. Sweet T
1:00-1:45 p.m. The Clabber Boys
2:00-2:45 p.m. Grandview Junction
3:00-3:45 p.m. Up N Gone
4:00-4:45 p.m. The Kings Highway

5:00-6:30 p.m. Dinner Break
Ole South Barbeque, The Diamond Lake Grill, Pizza & Ice Cream Shoppe

6:30 p.m. SHOWTIME Doors Open 5:30 p.m.
Master of Ceremonies Judge Gene Lanham
Tribute to America and to Kentucky by Owensboro’s own Randy Lanham
The Bluegrass Allstars and Barry Lanham’s Foot Stompin’ Express Troupe
6:45-7:25 p.m. County Line Bluegrass
7:30-8:15 p.m. The Kings Highway
8:30 p.m. J.D. Crowe and the New South

Bluegrass Workshops
Pavilion C

1:00-1:30 p.m. Mandolin – Mark Hargis – The Kings Highway
1:30-2:00 p.m. Vocal Harmony – Mark Hargis/John Johnston – The Kings Highway
2:00-2:30 p.m. Dobro – Mike Hobson – Up N Gone
2:30-3:00 p.m. Guitar – Veronica Lassiter – Mountain Harmony
4:00-5:00 p.m. Clogging – Barry Lanham and the Foot Stompin’ Express Troupe

Complimentary shuttle service throughout the festival by Lampkin Family Farms
Open jamming throughout the event at various locations.

FOR TICKETS:
www.owensboroconcerts.com or call 270-302-5260
Diamond Lake Resorts 270-229-4900 for tickets and camping information
Even Steven Locations: 270-683-3226 3400 Old Hartford Road
270-771-4998 Highway 56 West
270-785-3616 7155 Highway 81
Ole South Barbeque: 270-926-6464 3523 Highway 54

Hotel Packages and Special Room Rate Available:
Fully renovated Ramada Inn 270-685-3941 or Days Inn 270-684-9621

Roots Music Festival slated for Aug. 15
Recess at Harsens Island Schoolhouse

(Harsens Island, Mich., April 20, 2010) –School may not be in session in mid August, but recess will be in play at the old two-room schoolhouse on Harsens Island, Mich.

The First Annual Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival will be in full swing on Aug. 15 with five of Michigan and Ohios’s finest Bluegrass bands.

Along with great music, the festival will feature barbecue, beer tent, wine bar and — as a tip of the hat to the rustic — horseshoes. After the main show winds down, visitors can enjoy a campfire jam with celebrated musicians.

Regional vendors specializing in natural, organic, handmade crafts are being invited to sell and show their wares.

“This festival is all about getting back to our roots and a simpler way of living,” said producer Kate Hart. “There’s really no better place to host such an event than this island paradise.
We wanted our festival to celebrate the treasures of the area.

“Even our sponsors are advocates of getting back to the simpler things in life,” she said. “For example, Algonac business, Cooper’s Canine sells only products made in the United States without chemicals. Our beer provider and event sponsor, Patrick Hool, microbrews his beer in St. Clair adjacent to Sue’s Coffee House, a mom and pop operation.”

A ferry ride (yes, in your car) across the North Channel of the St. Clair River to Harsens is part of the experience. The Harsens Island Schoolhouse is one mile from the ferry, which costs $7 per car to ride.

Tickets will go on sale soon at select area businesses and online. Admission is $20, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Harsens Island Lions Club Emergency Fund, which provides financial assistance struggling island families.

Bluegrass, Barbecue and Bonfire too

In addition to the award-winning Lonesome County, we’ll be serving up amazing bluegrass from Skin and Bones, a traditional country band with a honky tonk edge. Nick Pivot sings lead and plays acoustic guitar, while Vito Marchione sings and plays “drums” on an amplified 1940’s tweed suitcase. Yes, that’s right a suitcase!

And just so Lonesome County won’t feel, well, so lonely, we’re offering the Company of Strangers, who’ll play originals, plus comfortable, recognizable tunes both old and new that visitors can tap along to.

Smoky rich barbecue and frothy microbrewed beer will satify the tastebuds while Ohio’s Deep Water Bluegrass keeps things lively for guests sitting around the campfire as the night winds down. So get ready for some fine picking and great vocals!

Stay tuned for additions to the music lineup!

Fast Facts ~
Harsens Island Bluegrass Festival
Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010 from Noon- 9 p.m.
@ Harsens Island Schoolhouse Grille
2669 Columbine Road, Harsens Island, Mich. 48028
Featuring five Bluegrass Bands from Michigan & Ohio
Local vendors and food celebrate back to basics lifestyle
Admission is $20, portion of proceeds to Harsens Island Lions Club
Tickets on sale soon online and at select local businesses
Producer: Kate Hart, (810) 748-3204
Media Conact: Peggy Blue (586) 291-2018

Hot on the heals of taking the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in February, the multi-talented actor/comedian/musician and bestselling author teams up with Steep Canyon Rangers for an extraordinary evening of bluegrass & banjo.

Don’t miss this opportunity to catch Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers live, April 19th at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

www.detroitsymphony.com

Pete Wernick (“Dr. Banjo”) will bring his Bluegrass Jam Camp to Owensboro, KY June 21-24, just preceding the ROMP Bluegrass Festival. The camp will be held at the International Bluegrass Museum and run 9am-5pm Monday-Wednesday plus two hours on Thursday. The camp is open to pickers of all bluegrass instruments, of all skill levels. No jamming experience is necessary. Players are taught hands-on how bluegrass jamming works, and learn to play music together, cultivating ear skills and playing without written music. This camp rounds out a national slate of Wernick’s jam camps this spring and summer. Pete and his wife Joan, will also be performing at the ROMP Festival on June 24.

Wernick originated jam camps in 1999 and since then, he and Joan have been showing inexperienced players how to fit into bluegrass jam sessions with confidence. Students are coached as they play in small groups at gentle speeds. Participants need only be able to change smoothly between a few simple chords. A recent camper reports, “I always wanted to go to a bluegrass jam but was too intimidated. Now I know how they work, how to fit in and I have a great selection of songs to get started.” For more information about this camp or any of Pete’s camps, visit www.DrBanjo.com

April 16, 2010 7:30 PM
Akron Civic Theatre
Sponsored by: Summit Choral Society

This vibrant concert is the perfect sync of two musical styles as classical choral music lovers and bluegrass fans ‘meet’ In Harmony . The 70-voice Masterworks Chorale is joined by world-class bluegrass touring artists Honeytown. Featuring fiddle, banjo and drums, you’ll be dancing on your way home! Also featuring the new work, The World Beloved – A Bluegrass Mass.

Single tickets: $25, $20 and $15 all reserved seating
Special Discount for Bluegrass Fans: save 35% just mention code BLUEGRASS
Student Discounts: 50%

The Toledo Blade just ran a nice article about Ralph Stanley II.  He will be appearing at the Glass City Opry in Maumee, Ohio this Saturday, April 3rd, 2010.

You can read the article here online:    BLADE ARTICLE