 Derek Brandon
Write to Derek
Updated 4th Dec 2000
So here we are with the first online-only edition of North West Bluegrass
News. I have to say that although it's a lot less work not making the hard
copy version, it isn't as much fun, either. But it also takes a lot less
time and gives Jean and I a lot more freedom to do what we want when we want.
Normally there would have been a September issue, but we took advantage of
the extra freedom and went to visit our daughter in San Francisco for a whole
month (yes, again... just think of the trouble we're saving someone else
by taking on the burden ourselves....) This was the first time we've been
able to visit in October - the NWBN schedule prevented that before.
Apart from my Hotmail address I managed to configure my daughter's Outlook
Express to read my mail and (much to my amazement!) send my mail from my
own UK Write to address from her ISP, so I could keep up with articles and
what was happening. We had a great time there playing a few smallish gigs,
visiting the Gold Country (again!), following the Chazz Cats around, the
odd pint with The Simpsons in the Toronado on Haight and the Zeitgeist
at Duboce & Valencia and more. (Those places mean something
to those who know...)
A highlight of the visit was another party arranged in our honour (as Editor
of NWBN) by Rick Cornish, at his wonderful house near San Jose. There we
met friends old (including Elena Corey, who writes in
this issue) and new. Rick really is the 100% perfect host - if ever you
are invited there just say "Yes please!" and worry about everything else
later. Rick gave me for review a copy of the latest version ofhis mega-production
The (never quite) Complete Bluegrass Songbook, which contains the
words to over 1000 songs! The review will be up soon.
click for previous party
report)
 A session rocks, Rick swings...
(Diana, Rick, Jean)
This new online-only production allows me space to put photos wherever I
like - so I have put a couple in "Letters" to sparkle up the page a bit -
sorry they aren't BG pix - they might be next time, if someone sends some...
But I do the graft so I get to choose what goes in, such as the photo here
at Rick Cornish's party. If anyone doesn't like this, don't moan at me -
offer some help instead!
This issue was produced as a unified item as before, but this might change
in future. I think definite issues are still needed (people tell me they
like being able to go to one page to get all the new stuff) but possibly
each month I will start a new issue and add to it as things arrive. That
means there will be more frequent but smaller issues and things will tend
to be more current.
You might have noticed that I have started doing something I swore I would
never do - putting some commercial adverts on the pages. Well, as I
explained last time our "Sponsorship"
scheme is finished but many of the costs haven't, so please help out by visiting
our sponsors - each click on the link generates a small amount....
Once again I am unable to give you Part 3 of the
Down County Boys story, but DCB
founder-member Pete Parker assures me that it will arrive... I can only put
up things that people send me - and the British bluegrass fraternity is pretty
hopeless at helping itself - it is very time-consuming trying to get articles
and news and very frustrating when promised items don't materialise. So there
will be more stuff from abroad and less home-grown articles unless they get
their fingers out. It amazes me that the top bands in the UK don't take advantage
of the free exposure available on this site... and they aren't alone at
that...
There is more non-UK content than many would like, but that's largely because
in the printed version there wouldn't have been room for it. I haven't yet
had time to make up Richard Lloyd's Mandolin tab (old-timey) but I will ASAP
then upload it. So the issue might just grow...
Comments welcomed,
Derek Brandon,
Editor.
1st December
2000
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