North County Bluegrass & Folk Club

Weobley in rural Herefordshire plays host to what is, without doubt, one of the best band line ups in the country. On the May Day Bank holiday weekend (April 30 to May 2) this small, picturesque village will delight to a mixture of music, not just bluegrass. With free workshops on Saturday afternoon, this is a festival not to miss in 2010. www.Bordergrass.co.uk. ...

Since its inception nearly a century ago, Fiddler's Grove Ole Time Fiddler's & Bluegrass Festival fiddler's contest has focused on traditional American music. This dedication has earned the event a reputation as one of the most prestigious and authentic fiddling competitions in the United States. In May 2000, Fiddler's Grove received the Local Legacy award from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Fiddler's Grove is home to the oldest continuous old-time Fiddler's contest in North America. May 28 - 30 2010, the festival returns to Fiddler's Grove. ...

Lyons, CO -- Planet Bluegrass is thrilled to announce the final lineup for their 37th Annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival to be held in high mountain town of Telluride, Colorado June 17-20, 2010. They complete the 2010 lineup with 2 brilliant artists: Keller & the Keels unites one-man jamband Keller Williams with his fiery bluegrass friends Larry and Jenny Keel. Singer-songwriter-cellist Ben Sollee suspends his voice of pure Kentucky soul over his strummed and bowed cello and an impeccable ear for melody. ...

Saturday, March 27th, 2010, at 7:30 p.m., the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert of bluegrass music by Tennessee Skyline. The musicians that make up Tennessee Skyline are some of the most talented and best known musicians in east Tennessee. Their Appalachian heritage comes through clearly in every note they play. Whether they are picking an old tune or playing one of their own compositions, tradition and heritage are what drive this band to excellence. Audey Ratliff, G. C. Matlock, Tommy Freeman, Matt Hurd, Nate Aquino, and Kaley Thomas make up the band Tennessee Skyline. ...

Hiltons, VA -- Saturday, March 20th, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert by the Town Branch Bluegrass band. As long as bluegrass music has echoed through the hills and valleys of the Appalachian region, musicians of all ages have gathered together to play and preserve their favorite style of music. This southwestern Virginia group showcases the traditional songs of yesterday, along with the driving sound of a modern style. The group began doing back porch picking and performing at local events nearly five years ago. Town Branch Bluegrass is now one of the region’s hottest new bands. ...

Marion, VA- Grammy Award winners Riders in the Sky will appear at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia on Friday, March 12th to tape an episode of the award winning television concert series Song of the Mountains. Their unique style of Western music has been a favorite for audiences for years and offers a great night of entertainment for the entire family. On the concert with Riders in the Sky will be Michael Reno Harrell with his fabulous singing and songwriting, and bluegrass favorites Mark Newton and Stringtones and Jackie Kincaid and Steppin' Out. ...

Due to unforeseen circumstances, The Donna Ulisse concert at Jettie Baker Center in Clintwood, Virginia on March 12, 2010 has been canceled with the hopes of rescheduling at a future date. Please help spread the word as Ulisse would not anyone to drive any distance and then find out about the cancellation. ...

Nashville, TN -- The Americana Music Association has announced that John Cowan will perform at the Americana "Live at the Bluebird Cafe" series on Thursday March 11th at 9PM. Tickets for this performance are on sale now at www.BlueBirdCafe.com. ...

Asheville, NC -- Once again Steve Martin has tapped the award-winning bluegrass group the Steep Canyon Rangers to tour with him in support of his Grammy-winning Rounder Records release, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo. The Banjo Tour will begin on April 19th in Detroit and is expected to continue into October, with performances scheduled at the New Orleans JazzFest, MerleFest and Bonnaroo. ...

Dan (BanjerDan) Mazer informs us of another group of efforts to replace his stolen Mazertone banjo. Dan wrote, "As most of you are aware, my custom Deering GDL banjo ("The Mazertone") was stolen in mid-October. The banjo is on the D.C. area's police pawnshop watch list, and I've kept an eye on craig's list, e-bay, etc. I'm sure it'll come back to me someday, but in the meantime, I've been playing Andrew McGinley's beautiful Deering Maple Blossom banjo, and have made arrangements with him to buy it on installment." ...

The Red White Family has gone back to their old name of, Red White & Bluegrass! They traveled the Bluegrass Circuit as Red White & Bluegrass extensively in the 70's & 80's. Red had his own television show on WECT TV Channel 6 out of Wilmington, NC for 16 years, with many years on radio. ...

Nashville, TN -- The entire collection of professional memorabilia documenting the stellar career of Tammy Wynette has arrived at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The move was facilitated by George Richey, Wynette's widower, and Wanda Williams, after numerous discussions with the Museum. ...

Indianapolis, IN -- The Bean Blossom Jamboree Foundation has announced the details of the upcoming BBJF Bluegrass Benefit Concert to be held April 17, 2010 from 3:00 pm - 10:00 p.m. at the Historic Artcraft Theatre located in Franklin, Indiana. The concert includes performances by acclaimed bluegrass veteran and Rounder Recording artist, Charlie Sizemore with his band; Jett's Creek, a national touring act based in Ohio; plus local favorites, New Harmony, Birch Creek, and Sugar Creek. Tickets prices are: $20, $10 (ages 6-12) and free (under the age of 6) and can be purchased in advance or the day of the show at the Artcraft Theatre. ...

Charlottesville, VA --Rebel Records of Virginia is proud to announce the addition of Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers to its roster of premier Bluegrass artists. The band's first project for the label--entitled simply Rambler's Call--is set for release March 30 and contains a fine mixture of old and new material performed in the rock-solid traditional style that Mullins has always been known for. ...

Henhouse Prowlers, the powerhouse Chicago string band quartet, will celebrate their sixth anniversary as a band with a performance at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago on July 17, 2010. Six years ago, band members didn’t expect the band to last. In fact, they were just thrown together to fill in for a band that had a standing gig on Tuesday nights, according to fiddler Ryan Hinshaw. ...

On March 15, revered country radio icon 650 AM WSM kicks off a series of new midday shows hosted by award-winning artists. The three weekly one-hour shows hosted by Dierks Bentley, Pam Tillis and Jim Lauderdale will air Monday - Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT. The shows can also be heard online at www.WSMOnline.com or as podcasts via iTunes. ...

Oklahoma City, OK -- After building the number one country-music agency in the world, Halsey eventually sold it to found the Jim Halsey Institute, which focuses on helping others pursue their dreams in the music industry. In his new book released nationwide this month, titled Starmaker, he continues that mission by sharing the secrets he learned while shepherding the careers of entertainment giants. ...

Nashville, TN -- The Grascals, one of bluegrass music's most highly awarded and acclaimed bands, will release their brand new CD, The Famous Lefty Flynn's, on Rounder Records March 30th, just a few days before the band hits the road as a part of Hank Williams Jr.'s Rowdy Friends Tour, an opportunity that will showcase bluegrass music to tens of thousands of music fans. As a guest on the CD, Williams also joins the band for a quintessential country/bluegrass version of "I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome," written by his dad, Hank Williams, and the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe. ...

Bluegrass Bands and Helping Hands organizer Paul Byrum yesterday stated, "We are really excited to announce our 2nd benefit concert planned for September 25th 2010". An annual event, Bluegrass Bands and Helping Hands concerts are about bringing in some of the very best musicians (bluegrass) to benefit North Georgians impacted by job loss. "Last year, we raised over $10,000 for DOC-UP a non-profit organization which helps families with rent and utility assistance." Betty Brant, DOC-UP Director says that the organization "assisted 1600 plus families and the number of requests are continuing to grow. The extra funds generated from this project will help to keep families from being evicted from their homes or having their utility services disconnected. ...

For over fifteen years, world-renowned resonator guitarist, Grammy-winning producer and rising artist Randy Kohrs has donated his talents and time to the annual telethon put on by Variety, the Children's Charity, in Des Moines, Iowa, by acting as band leader for the house band. On March 6 and 7, the current Nashville resident will resume the role again in the 24 hour event near his own hometown of New Virginia, Iowa ...