• Julie Cross says (Crewe) "Steve and I have put together an Old Time band with Bob and Helen and Malcolm, if anyone out there needs music for an American Barn Dance. Tel: 01270-211491
• Bob Clinton, editor of the BBMA organ British Bluegrass, is retiring before Christmas. He is returning to the USA with his partner Brenda Hopkin, who is Advertisement Manager.  So the BBMA is looking for a new Editorial Team - volunteers urgently wanted!
• Greg Cahill confirms that the delayed Special Consensus tour will definitely be taking place in January/February next year, staying in England until the 27th January before leaving for Ireland.
• Phill Moreley, who has run the Banjo Gazette mag for years, has had to give it up on doctors orders. Happily Phill has found someone to take it over and intends to continue contributing to it as and when he can.
• Dulaman have obtained funding from Crewe and Nantwich Council to write a piece of music and to record it on a CD and in MP3 format. Soon available for all to listen to; they have worked hard. It will be on the council web site, and the Nantwich Folk Festival web site soon. They are supporting Eliza Carthy in December.
• BBMA International rep Ray Whiteway-Roberts reckons that the four musicians that make up Bulgarian band Lilly Of The West put on one of the finest performances in Europe and advises any promoter to book them if they get a chance. Their latest CD is Dear and Kind.
• A Chance To Win $1000!!! The second SPBGMA European Bluegrass Band Competition will be held in Dublin on November 4. Rex Burdette, organiser of the show of which the band competition forms a part, commented that as of 3rd September there has not been a lot of interest in the competition. So if you want to have a go at winning $1000 prize money and a contract for a Bluegrass Festival in the USA, contact Chuck Stearman at spbgma@kvmo.net without delay. Information can also be obtained from Colm Mooney at colm@moonshine.iol.ie or Tel 00-353-1-831-7331. Remember Blackjack's success at Vienna two years ago!
  The event will take place at the Baily Court Hotel, Main Street, Howth (15 minutes from Dublin City Centre and 15 minutes from the airport). Tel 00-353-1-832-2691.
• The Athy Bluegrass Weekend was amazed by British artists Richard Collins (playing with Sharon Cort) and Pete Stanley & Brian Golbey. Richard Hawkins, of the Irish Bluegrass Music Association, commented of Pete and Brian "If this is what a couple of guys in their early sixties can sound like, then we've all got a lot more to look forward to in old age than I had thought before now".

Rest-Of-The World

• Charlie Waller has had a stroke due to a burst blood vessel but he is doing pretty well. He will be under doctor's care for several weeks. He is still singing to the nurses and asking his wife to bring his guitar to the hospital!! He says he really wants to get back on the road soon. The doctors have discovered he has diabetes, which is not good news.
• Roman Jason Scott, 29 of Reidsville, NC, son of Tony and Pamela Rice, died on August 10th
• Scott Zimmerman points out that "First Quality Musical Supplies have published their long-awaited 2000-2001 catalogue. You can get it all at the website without waiting for the mail carrier. Just drop by www.fqms.com/download.htm and grab the section(s) you want. You'll need Adobe's free Acrobat Reader software to view the files; if you need it, click on the yellow button on the download page."
• Bill Evans of El Cerito is planning on producing a video on the techniques of playing a banjo - more news as it develops.
• Steve Huber is planning to produce banjos with a pre-was sound, using hide glue for the rims and an ageing process. Unfortunately he hasn't perfected the process yet but hopes to soon. A few prototypes have been released and Sammy Shelor being quite struck by one. His response after playing a Huber prototype was a moment of silence, followed by: "That's the best sounding new banjo I ever heard!"
• The IBMA's World of Bluegrass Week is at Louisville, Kentucky, from October 16-22, 2000. It includes the industry's Trade Show, International Bluegrass Music Awards, and the Bluegrass Fan Fest. (See the article IBMA Nominations in this issue.) Artists confirmed to perform at Bluegrass Fan Fest include: The Del McCoury band; The Johnny Staats Project; IIIrd Tyme Out; Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show; Lonesome River Band; The Chapmans; The Lynn Morris Band; Jerry & Tammy Sullivan; Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; The Jeff White Band; Rhonda Vincent & The Rage; Hazel Dickens; Blue Highway; Robin & Linda Williams; Tim O'Brien; Lost Highway; Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time; U.S. Navy Band Country Current; Mountain Heart; Fragment (Slovakia); Dale Ann Bradley & Coon Creek; The Bill Evans/ John Reischman Band; The James King Band; Mark Johnson & Friends; The Isaacs; Country Ham; The Lilly Brothers; Linda Thomas & Dan DeLancey; Blueridge; A Tribute to Randy Howard, featuring; New Vintage; The Kathy Chiavola Band & Special; Dry Branch Fire Squad.
• Dan Tyminski has recently completed his long-awaited solo project Carry Me Across The Mountain, (DS-2002). Visit www.doobie Shea.com to read the liner notes and hear sound clips from the new CD, which features appearances by Alison Krauss, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Ronnie Bowman, Adam Steffey, Barry Bales, Jim Mills, Ron Block, Stan Tyminski, Dwight McCall, Aubrey Haynie, Ron Stewart and Steve Gulley. Dan's movie debut in George Clooney's new film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? will be released this October. The new Disney/Universal film will feature Clooney, who lip-syncs to Dan's voice singing the soundtrack entitled Man of Constant Sorrow.
• Andy Glandt (Foxtower, Germany) writes "I am currently working on a book about banjo in D tuning. It should cover several styles including slide banjo and finger picking style - you can figure out more about it on my web site www.andy.glandt.com."
• Eddie Collins announces that each of his books, The Key of C for 5-String Banjo and The Key of D for 5-String Banjo, are now being shipped with a practice CD. Each disk is divided into 66 tracks that demonstrate all of the licks and songs at a slow and fast speed. Contact Eddie for more detailed information on each of the books. If you already own a copy of one of his books, contact Eddie for information on how to order just the accompanying CD. Write to or 8407 Loralinda Dr., Austin, TX 78753
• Steve Kaufman has three new videos that will soon be available: Flatpicking Through The Holidays, Developing Speed In Flatpicking, and The Winfield Champions (a jam session featuring Steve Bennett, Cody Kilby, Mark Cosgrove, Robin Kessinger, Mike Whitehead, Roy Curry, Alan Shad and Steve himself. Write to

21st Sept 2000