Nov/Dec - Northern California Bluegrass Society

Publication of the Northern California Bluegrass Society
November/December 2015
For additional information, visit www.ncbs.us
Editor: Linda L. Descoteaux
Brown, Staninec & Ickes Lauded by IBMA
By Michael Hall
Alison Brown, Annie Staninec, and Rob Ickes were recognized with awards at
the International Bluegrass Music Association
sociation at the World Of Bluegrass
Convention in Raleigh, NC.
Former NCBS/SCBS member Alison Brown was honored with a Distinguished
Achievement Award on October 1. The San Diego native was a Society
member during her years living in San Francisco. She is now a Nashville
resident. Brown has had a long career as a banjo player & songwriter and is
co-founder of the rapidly-rising
rising Compass Records Group acoustic label.
Former NCBS member Annie Staninec received a Momentum Award For
Instrumental Performance in a youth-oriented
oriented ceremony at the convention on
September 30. The San Francisco native now lives in Portland, OR. The
fiddler was a longtime participant in the Kids On Stage program at the NCBS
Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, performed with the Donne
Donner Mountain
Bluegrass Band, and currently performs with the Kathy Kallick Band.
In this issue
2015 IBMA Awards
Beyond the Holler
Redwood Bluegrass Associates
2016 NCBS Lifetime Honorees
Call for Performers for GOF
NCBS Board Elects Officers
Brookdale Bluegrass Festival
Rick Ednie
Fresh off the Griddle
Venues, Festivals & Concerts, Radio
Stations
Gryphon Stringed Instruments
Bluegrass By The Bay
At the IBMA Awards Show on
October 1, former NCBS/SCBS
member Rob Ickes won
Annie Staninec
the Instrumental Recording of
the Year honor for “The Three Bells” with Mike Auldridge &
Jerry Douglas.
as. Ickes is a Millbrae native now living in
Tennessee.
Other Distinguished Achievement honorees were Murphy
Henry, Steve Martin, the late “Bashful Brother Oswald” Pete
Kirby, and the International Bluegrass Music Museum. A
photograph shown onscreen during the Steve Martin
presentation showed him at his Los Angeles home jamming
with former NCBS president Mike McKinley. Other Momentum
Award nominees included NCBS member Molly Tuttle of Palo
Alto and John Mailander of San Diego, both now living in
Nashville. The Northern California Bluegrass Society is a
longtime organizational member of the IBMA.
Page 1
Beyond the Holler
by Linda L. Descoteaux
Guitar aficionados are flocking to the Costanoa Resort in
Pescadero for the first-ever Fretboard Summit. This
three-day festival (Nov. 6-8) features interviews with
some of the country’s finest lutheriers, including locals
Richard Hoover (Santa Cruz Guitar Co.) and Jeff
Traugott; historians, including Richard Johnston
(Gryphon Stringed Instruments); and performances by
Julian Lage & Chris Eldridge, Bill Frisell, Bryan
Sutton, David Crosby, Joe Henry, Matt Munisteri, and
Blake Mills. www.fretboardjournal.com
The Wednesday night Java Jam has moved to Lulu
Carpenter’s in Santa Cruz (1545 Pacific Avenue) from 810 pm. Come out to hear a different combination of Bay
Area bluegrass musicians each week. John
Kornhauser (Dark Hollow) is on the bill for Nov. 25.
Belle Monroe and Her Brewglass Boys rock The
Plough and Stars on Nov. 7. www.theploughandstars.com
Mandolin wizard Chris Thile (Punch Brothers, Nickel
Creek) will host A Prairie Home Companion when
Garrison Keillor retires in 2016. Chris embarks on a solo
tour this November (Nov. 9, Christopher Cohan Center,
San Luis Obispo; Nov. 13, SF Jazz Center, Miner
Auditorium; Nov. 14, Weill Hall, Rohnert Park.)
The True Life Troubadours and Nobody from
Nashville play Nov. 20 at the Plough and Stars, 116
Clement St., San Francisco. www.theploughandstars.com
The Great American Music Hall is the venue for the
Tenth Annual Turkey Trot on Nov. 25. The Vivants
and Secret Town are celebrating new CD releases,
and the Mother Truckers will also trot their stuff.
www.slimspresents.com
Carlene Carter celebrated her royal country roots with
her April release, Carter Girl. The daughter of June
Carter Cash and Carl Smith, and granddaughter of
Maybelle Carter, Carlene is a prodigious songwriter
with a voice that can both tear down the walls and
send you home crying. See her Dec. 4 at 8 pm at the
Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center’s Bankhead
Theater, 2400 First St., (925) 373-6800, or on Dec. 5
at 7 pm at the Napa Valley Performing Arts Center,
100 California Dr., Yountville, (707) 944-9900.
The Sebastopol Community Cultural Center hosts
Scottish fiddler extraordinaire Alasdair Fraser and
Celtic cellist Natalie Haas on December 5 at 8 pm.
www.seb.org
Meanwhile, down in San Francisco, there’s big time
fun to be had with Central Coast beer-grass band the
Mother Corn Shuckers. Enjoy this 8-member
Shot from a cannon on Prince Edward Island in July, Ten acoustic yet rowdy ensemble on Dec. 5 at 9 pm at the
Strings and a Goat Skin (brothers Rowen and Caleb
Plough and Stars, 116 Clement Street.
Gallant and Jesse Periard) have since been careening
The Banjo Babes 2016 calendar and album release
through France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the United
show features not only the beloved Babes, but also
Kingdom. They’re landing at Don Quixote’s in Felton on
their four separate acts. Evie Ladin, The Littlest
Nov. 15, where you can learn why they won the 2015
Birds (Sharon Martinson and David Huebner), The
East Coast Music Association’s award for World Music
Small Glories (Cara Luft (Wailin’ Jennys) and JD
Recording of the Year with their Acadian-French-Irish
Edwards), and Erin Inglish with the Stringtown
take on traditional and Celtic music. Showtime is 7 pm.
Ambassadors promise a lush and melodic evening of
www.donquixotesmusic.info
fine vocals and strings. Be at the Freight & Salvage on
The California Banjo Extravaganza stretches five humble Dec. 10 at 8 pm.
strings to royal realms. Bill Evans is joined by banjo
The Stoney Mountain Ramblers are among the line-up
masters Ryan Cavanaugh and Riley Baugus; the full
for the 11th Annual Holiday Hootenanny on Dec. 11.
band includes string stalwarts Jim Nunally, Sharon
Gilchrist, John Reischman, and Chad Manning. Dates This NCBS welcomed event, presented by Scott Dailey
and the Devil’s Canyon Brewing Company (935
include Nov. 12 (Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, 7:30 pm,
Washington St., San Carlos) is presented free of charge.
www.riotheatre.com); Nov. 13 (Palms Playhouse,
Winters, 7:30 pm, www.palmsplayhouse.com); Nov. 14
A Holiday Revue featuring the T-Sisters, Laurie Lewis,
(Etz Chayim Hall, 4161 Alma St., Palo Alto, 7:30 pm,
and special guests takes place on Dec. 17 at 8 pm at the
www.rba.org); and Nov. 15 (Freight & Salvage, Berkeley,
Freight & Salvage. www.thefreight.org
8:00 pm, www.thefreight.org ).
Join Laurie Lewis, Tom Rozum, Paul Knight, and Keith
Friday the 13th can be your lucky day—enjoy Houston
Little—a veritable bluegrass super group—in Petaluma
Jones and Suzi Glaze and the Hilonesome Band in an
on Dec. 20th at Jamison’s Roaring Donkey, 146 Kentucky
intimate setting at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa
Street. Music runs from 3 to 6 pm.
Cruz (Nov. 13 at 8 pm). www.brownpapertickets.com
You’ll have another chance to see these two remarkable The Earl Brothers crank it up for a Hillbilly’s New Year’s
bands at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage on Nov. 14 at
Eve at The Plough and Stars, 116 Clement St., San
8 pm. www.thefreight.org
Francisco. www.theploughandstars.com
Bluegrass By The Bay
Page 2
Bluegrass By The Bay
Page 3
Ashford, Cohea, Shropshire, & Waller
Named as 2016 NCBS Lifetime Honorees
Awards Part of Bluegrass on Broadway Festival Set for January 29-31
By Michael Hall
The Northern California Bluegrass Society has announced the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Honorees.
The awards will be presented on January 30, 2016 at the Northern California Bluegrass Awards Show.
The four recipients are pioneers of California bluegrass music. They are:
Jerry Ashford, longtime Santa Cruz Mountains guitar wizard, singer, songwriter
and band leader. NCBS Guitarist of the Year, 2008. (Bands: Moonglow, Mountain
Creatures, Sidesaddle, Chemeketa, Home Grown String Band)
Larry Cohea, oft-recognized outstanding banjo player, singer and luthier. NCBS
Banjo Player of the Year, 2015. (Bands: High Country, Blue & Lonesome, Dark Hollow,
Dim Lights, The Mighty Crows, Bluegrass Intentions)
Elmo Shropshire, longtime North Bay bluegrass stalwart and former nationallytouring leader of Elmo & Patsy & The Homestead Act. He recorded the best-selling
Christmas song of all time -- "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer."
Butch Waller, mandolinist, singer, songwriter, and leader of High Country, the
longest-running bluegrass band in California (1968).
The NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival will be held in Redwood City January 29-31, 2016. The
Northern California Bluegrass Awards Show will be held on Saturday, January 30 and the NCBS
Bluegrass Film Festival will take place on Sunday, January 31. Other programs will take place
throughout the weekend.
The FREE festival is made possible with principal financial support from the Redwood City Civic
Cultural Commission, the Redwood City Department of Parks, Recreation, & Community Services, the
Redwood City Public Library, John Dabney, and other Redwood City area businesses and individuals.
Jerry Ashford (center) and The Mountain Critters in the 1990s
Bluegrass By The Bay
Page 4
Congratulations lifetime honorees—
honorees
and thank
hank you for your
contributions to bluegrass music!
music
Jerry Ashford with Beth McGovern
Butch Waller
Larry Cohea
photo by Donna B. PaciniPacini-Christensen
Elmo Shropshire
Bluegrass By The Bay
Page 5
NCBS Board Elects Officers
Call for Performers for the Good
Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival
Bluegrass bands, both established and up-andcoming, are invited to apply to perform on the
main stage at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass
Festival. The 2016 festival, slated for August 1114, features main stage performances on
August 12, 13, and 14.
Full details needed to submit your application,
including the submission address and phone
numbers for questions, are available on the NCBS
Web site, www.scbs.org/events/gof/bandapplication/.
Michael Hall takes the reigns as President of the
Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Board of
Directors for the 2015-2016 term. Bruce Bellochio
of Brookdale is serving as Vice-President, Alison
Steele of Boulder Creek is Secretary, and Bruce
Edmundson of Sunnyvale returns as Treasurer.
The slate of officers will serve until the annual
board elections are held at the Good Old
Fashioned Bluegrass Festival in 2016.
Brookdale Bluegrass Sets Sights
on March 2016
The next Brookdale Bluegrass Festival will be held
March 18-19, 2016. Depending on the progress of
renovations, the event may return to its original
home, the historic Brookdale Lodge; otherwise,
the festival will be held at another Santa Cruz
area venue. The Brookdale Bluegrass Festival has
been welcomed by the Northern California
Bluegrass Society since 1998. (Note: There will
not be a Brookdale winter festival this December.)
In brief, application materials are due by
December 31, 2015, and must include:
• A recording of at least five songs from the
current band line-up, either on CD or
cassette;
• A photo of your band, with members named
on the back;
• A written profile, including style of music you
play, names of band members and their role
in the band, band style and focus, member
bios, notable past performances, any regular
gigs, and any other information of interest to
your audience.
• Contact information for your band’s key
contact person—name, address, phone
number, postal address, and email address.
• The days your band is available to play.
Please be sure to review all of the band
application information on the Web site prior to
submitting an application package. We hope to
see you on stage in August!
Bluegrass By The Bay
Page 6
Mountain Faith
Fresh Off the Griddle
That Which Matters, ©2015
mountainfaithband.com
Ron Block
Hogan’s House of Music, ©2015
ronblock.com/store
Ron lets the
banjo strings
do the singing
on this
instrumental
labor of love.
Sumptuous
originals speak
of an idyllic
childhood
spent a stone’s
throw from
Grass Valley
(Smartville and Mooney Flat Road). His teenage
years in Southern California, where he worked in
his father’s music store, Hogan’s House of Music,
are translated into the plucky ’65 Mustang Blues
and the irresistible Hogan’s House of Boogie. This
collection is heavy on tradition (Stephen Foster’s
Gentle Annie, Ralph Stanley’s Clinch Mountain
Backstep) layered with adventurous twists lent by
Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan, Tim
Crouch, Lynn Williams, and a cool combo called
Union Station.
From the
mountains of
Sylva, North
Carolina comes a
straightforward
devotional album
wrapped in a
tight bunting of
bluegrass.
Nominated for
two IBMA awards
in 2015 (best
emerging artist and a momentum award
nomination for Summer McMahan for
performance vocalist), Mountain Faith’s
instrumentals are a mighty match to their strong
vocals. Absent From the Body is two minutes and
47 seconds of high and lonesome bluegrass bliss.
Boxcar Lilies
Knockout Rose, ©2015
www.boxcarlilies.com/store.html
Box Set Duo Trio
One Night Live,
©2015
www.boxsetduo.
com
Harmonies (Red
Winged
Blackbird),
heart
(Angeline), and
humor (Colma)
pour from the
grooves of this
live album, recorded in May at the Freight &
Salvage. Extra points for Thinking About John
Hartford. San Francisco, be very proud of Jeff
Pehrson and Jim Brunberg (Box Set Duo) and
cohort Ben Landsverk.
Bluegrass By The Bay
Three New England musicians in their 40s pooled
their talents and formed a band to be reckoned
with; five years later, they were named the #1 Most
Wanted Emerging Artist at the 2014 Falcon Ridge
Folk Festival. Way to go, ladies. All three play
guitar: Katie Clarke lends clawhammer banjo to the
mix, while Stephanie Marshall totes a washboard
and Jenny Goodspeed leans in with bass. Each has
a voice that, on its own, compels you to listen;
when combined in warm and seamless harmony,
you will not want the song to end. Favorite track:
Goin’ Away, with their arrangement of Cold Rain
and Snow a strong second.
Page 7
Venues
San Francisco
Amnesia, 853 Valencia St Amnesiathebar.com
Atlas Café, 3049 20th St www.atlascafe.net
Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell St www.gamh.com
The Music Store, 66 W Portal Ave www.themusicstoresf.com
Plough & Stars, 116 Clement St www.theploughandstars.com
East Bay
Cleophus Quealy Beer Company, 448 Hester St, San Leandro
www.cleoph.us
Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St, Berkeley
www.freightandsalvage.org
Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley www.jupiterbeer.com
Rooster’s Roadhouse, 1700 Clement Ave, Alameda
North Bay
Sweetwater Music Hall, 19 Corte Madera Ave, Mill Valley
www.sweetwatermusichall.com
Willowbrook Ale House, 3600 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma
707-775-4232
South Bay/Peninsula/Coast
Don Quixote’s Music Hall, 6275 Highway 9, Felton
www.donquixotesmusic.info
Fandango Pizza, 3163 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto
www.fandangopizza.com
Mission Pizza & Pub, 1572 Washington Blvd, Fremont
www.missionpizza.com
Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery, 7600 Sandholdt Rd, Moss Landing
www.philsfishmarket.com
Sam’s BBQ, 1110 S Bascom Ave, San Jose, www.samsbbq.com
San Gregorio General Store, Hwy 84/Stage Rd, San Gregorio
www.sangregoriostore.com
Festivals & Concerts
Nov 13-15
Nov 27-29
Jan 6-9
Jan 15-17
Jan 29-31
Feb 25-28
Mar 4-6
Mar 12
Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival & Fiddle
Championship, Wickenberg, AZ
www.wickenburgchamber.com
Sonora Christmas Craft & Music Festival
fireonthemountain.com
The Great 48 Jam, Bakersfield
www.cbaweb.org/events/great48
Blythe Bluegrass Festival
www.blythebluegrass.com
Bluegrass on Broadway, Redwood City
www.scbs.org/events/bob
Wintergrass, Bellevue, Washington
www.wintergrass.com
Bluegrass on the Beach, Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://bluegrassonthebeach.com/
Sonoma County Bluegrass & Folk Festival
Sebastopol www.cbaweb.org/Events//Sonoma
Mar 18-19 Brookdale Bluegrass Festival
www.brookdalebluegrass.com
Apr 1-3
WinterWonderGrass, Squaw Valley (Tahoe)
www.winterwondergrass.com
Apr 2
Cloverdale Fiddle Festival
cloverdalefiddles.com
Apr 24
San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins
www.croatianamericanweb.org
May 5-8
Parkfield Bluegrass Festival
http://www.parkfieldbluegrass.org
May 14
30th Annual Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair
www.scbs.org
May 26-30 Strawberry Music Festival
www.strawberrymusic.com
Jun 16-19 Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival, Grass Valley
www.cbaweb.org/Events/FathersDayFestival
Radio Stations
89.7 KFJC
www.kfjc.org
90.1 KBCZ kbcz.org
91.5 KKUP www.kkup.com
Bluegrass By The Bay
91.7 KALW www.kalw.org
KVMR-Nevada City http://www.kvmr.org
94.1 KPFA www.kpfa.org
The Bluegrass Mix www.bluegrassmix.com
107.5 KPIG www.kpig.com
Page 8
WAMU Online
bluegrasscountry.org
Bluegrass By The Bay is published bi-monthly by the Northern California Bluegrass Society, an all volunteer, non-profit, tax
exempt 501(c)(3) organization. The NCBS was founded in 1982 as the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society, and continues to be
known by that name in the Santa Cruz area. The name was changed in 1999 to reflect the expanded scope of the
Society’s activities. The Society brings people together for the preservation, enjoyment, and advancement of bluegrass and
related acoustic music through jams, workshops, concerts, festivals, and this newsletter. © 2015 by the NCBS
NCBS website: http://ncbs.us or http://scbs.org
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Board of Directors
Committees
Mike Hall, President
hallmw@gmail.com
Good Old Fashioned Festival Director:
Bruce Bellochio, Vice-President estates@brucebellochio.com
Eric Burman, bluemoonranch@msn.com
Alison Steele, Secretary
Bruce Edmundson, Treasurer
Eric Burman
Mike Fisher
Penny Godlis
Mike Russell, Vice-President
bruce@rba.org
bluemoonranch@msn.com
bubberry@sbcglobal.net
pennyg44@verizon.net
squelch@pacbell.net
Membership Committee Chair:
Gary Anwyl, ganwyl@gmail.com
Volunteer Committee Chair:
To Be Announced
Webmaster Committee Chair:
Stewart Evans, stewart@lunula.com
Bluegrass By the Bay Linda L. Descoteaux, Editor
Submission Deadline:
Electronic Submissions:
Formats Accepted:
Hard Copy Submissions:
Advertising Rates:
10th of month preceding desired publication month
Email to lindadakota@gmail.com
Microsoft Word or plain text; Images in jpeg, tiff, or pdf
Mail to BBB Editor, 2942 E Swift Ave, Fresno, CA 93726
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Quarter-Page
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Business Card:
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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BLUEGRASS SOCIETY
Membership Application
Name
Date
Address
Phone
City/State/Zip
Email
Please list first names of family members who are joining, volunteer work you would be interested in doing for NCBS, or any comments, questions, or
corrections you would like to make. Thanks for joining us!
* Life Member
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Family (under one roof)
$500
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Check one:
New Member
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Make checks payable to NCBS
NCBS Membership Chair
PO Box 390846
Mountain View, CA 94039-0846
*Life membership includes:
• Advance reserved seating at NCBS concerts (preferred seats);
• NCBS T-shirt; and a
• Lifetime subscription to Bluegrass By the Bay.
Bluegrass By The Bay
Page 9
Northern California Bluegrass Society
Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society
PO Box 390846
Mountain View, CA 94039-0846
Send Address & E-mail Changes to
NCBS Membership Chair
at the above address
Cut out this box! The mailing label is now your NCBS membership card.
Kindly remember to send your renewal. Expiration date is listed below.
Bluegrass By The Bay
Page 10