The San Diego Troubadour

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Bluegrass Corner

What's Cookin' This Month

March looks to be another great month for bluegrass in San Diego. The Gibson Brothers and their band are coming to the Del Mar Powerhouse on Sunday, March 21 for a special concert, co-sponsored by the Del Mar Foundation and the San Diego Bluegrass Society. The Gibson Brothers are one of the top national bluegrass bands presenting the very "best of the best" in brother harmony singing, of a caliber that holds its own with the Louvin Brothers, the Everly Brothers, and other great sibling duos.

Here's what some of the reviewers have said about this band: "Beautiful. Timeless. Wrenching." - Bill Eichenberger, Columbus Dispatch. "The Gibson Brothers deliver their tales of rural life with a mixture of pain and joy that rings true. . ." - Geoffrey Himes, Washington Post. "To say they've got the classic brother duet thing down is an understatement; they own it." - Michael Eck, No Depression.

The Del Mar Powerhouse is a beautiful venue, located right on the beach in Del Mar, but it is small, seating only about 120, so get your tickets early. For info and tickets visit: delmarfoundation.org.

On March 6 Chris Stuart and his band Backcountry will present a songwriting workshop at Old Time Music, 2852 University Avenue at the corner of Utah in North Park. The workshop is from 2-4 pm. Call (619) 280-9035 for registration and info. Chris is the most recent winner of the IBMA award for "Song of the Year" in bluegrass music. In addition, Chris was the winner of the prestigious Chris Austin songwriting competition at Merlefest in both the bluegrass and gospel categories, so the man knows how to write a bluegrass song.

The Temecula Bluegrass Festival will be in full swing on Saturday and Sunday, March 20-21 in Old Town Temecula. This year's event features performances by Bluegrass Etc., the Alan Munde Gazette, Lonesome Otis, the Silverado Bluegrass Band, Sligo Rags, Gone Tomorrow, the Bluegrass Brethren, and others. The action happens Saturday from 11am to 10pm and Sunday 11am to 6pm. Admission is free for all of the day concerts. The Saturday evening (7pm) concert with the Alan Munde Gazette and Bluegrass Etc. is $15 and the Sunday afternoon (3pm) concert with the Alan Munde Gazette and Sligo Rags is $5. Camping is also available (call 951-678-0831). For more info: www.temeculacalifornia.com.

On March 27 Jay Ungar (author of "Ashokan Farewell"), Molly Mason and their family band will be here to give an evening concert at the San Dieguito United Methodist Church in Encinitas. The concert is sponsored by the San Diego Folk Heritage Society. For tickets and info visit: http://sdfolkheritage.org.

Banjos!

Last month we took a look at some of the great bluegrass guitar players, identifying some of the historical and national greats as well as some of the local standouts. In this issue we'll take a look at banjo players.

Any discussion of great banjo players must start with Earl Scruggs. Earl was a member of the seminal early edition of bluegrass' founding band, Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys, wherein Earl redefined banjo playing by perfecting and popularizing his three-finger technique. Earl then went on to even greater success as part of the all-time group Flatt and Scruggs, featuring Lester Flatt on vocals and guitar and Earl on banjo. You won't get many banjo players who argue against a claim that Earl was the "best of all time" and none who will argue he was (and still is - he's still performing!) the most influential of all time. You simply cannot seriously study bluegrass banjo without dosing yourself with some heavy Earl Scruggs.

Reasonable minds can differ on any list of the greats other than Earl, but here is my take. Other influential banjo players include Don Reno, an early contemporary of Earl Scruggs, who was also a stellar technician and performer rightfully able to claim, along with Earl, at least some of the credit for early three-finger innovation. And, of course the great Ralph Stanley of the Stanley Brothers who penned such banjo classics as "Clinch Mountain Backstep." Other players of stature and influence whose presence has been prominent in the banjo world for decades include J.D. Crowe (The New South; the Sunny Mountain Boys with Jimmy Martin), Allan Munde (Country Gazette, Allan Munde Gazette), John Hickman (Berline Crary and Hickman; California), and Eddie Adcock (Country Gentlemen).

As we step into the modern era we acknowledge many great banjo players. Noteworthy among this very competitive crowd are Jim Mills (Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder), Ron Stewart (Lynn Morris Band; JD Crowe and the New South), Craig Smith (Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands), and Richard Bailey (the Steeldrivers). And, while not currently playing a heavy mix of traditional bluegrass, Bela Fleck (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, New Grass Revival) and Noam Pikelny (Punch Brothers) have to be mentioned as these two have developed banjo skills of the very highest caliber.

Turning to the local scene, we recognize Mike Tatar, Sr. (Virtual Strangers) and Wayne Rice (Lighthouse) as long-term contributors to the local bluegrass scene who play solid traditional style banjo. Chris Beucler of Highway 76 is a standout with a hard-driving style that combines tradition with a more modern approach, and Jason Weiss (Bluegrass Ramblers; Taildraggers) shines in technical skills and modern banjo styles as well as traditional. Steve Dame of Gone Tomorrow may be the most underrated of the top local banjo players, but give him a listen and you will appreciate his talent. And, recent transplant to San Diego, Janet Beazley (Chris Stuart and Backcountry) plays as well as anyone on the local scene with a beautiful and clean rock solid style.

Ever wonder who plays the most bluegrass type gigs in any year? It may well be the San Diego Bluegrass Society-sponsored Emma's Gut Bucket Band. The Gut Bucket Band, as it is affectionately called, was founded by Emma Radcliffe and has been playing for three decades or more. The group is all volunteer and takes its unique brand of bluegrass, string music, and old time music to schools, assisted living facilities, community centers, and the like - all for free (donations are accepted and the money is used to support an instrument donation program that provides instruments to school and other worthy causes. Dave Kelly serves as gig coordinator and Larry Edwards manages the website. The band has played everywhere from the Balboa Park Organ Pavilion Stage to the Drop in Center for Homeless children. Here is a rundown on the Gut Bucket Band Gigs for 2009:

Convalescent Hospital gigs: 21

Senior Events: 14

School events 3

Fund Raisers for worthwhile causes 3

Miscellaneous other 5

That's a total of 46 gigs, or almost one per week. Dave reports that some of the highlights of the year included a fundraiser played for border patrol agent Robert Rosas who was slain in the line of duty, a performance for a fashion show for the San Diego County Women's Club in El Cajon, and a fundraiser for veterans attending Palomar College. You can learn more about Emma's Gut Bucket Band at: http://www.larryedwards.com/egbb/index.html. The band meets every Wednesday evening for practise and all players are welcome. Way to go, Gut Bucket Band! You do the bluegrass community proud!