Every year the International Bluegrass Music Association, the “mother ship” of bluegrass music, holds the equivalent of the bluegrass Grammys. All IBMA members are qualified to vote to pick the best of the best. Awards are given in a number of categories, including on each of the bluegrass instruments (fiddle, guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, and Dobro), for female and male vocalist of the year, as well as in a variety of other categories (best record, best gospel, best instrumental, etc.). The biggest and most prestigious award is for Entertainer of the Year, which recognizes the top bluegrass band overall. Voting is currently underway on all the awards and the winners will be announced at the annual World of Bluegrass event held in Raleigh, North Carolina this fall. Last year’s winner of the Entertainer of the Year award was the Earls of Leicester.
If you would like to participate in the voting all you need to do is join IBMA and you will be given a personal secret code for online balloting. The process includes three steps: first, nominations are made. Second, preliminary voting occurs to select finalists in each category. Finally, the winners are selected. To join IBMA visit its website at: www.ibma.org. Prior winners include Daley and Vincent and many other top performers.
SDBS Returns to First Baptist of Pacific Beach with a Great Concert by the Brombies. Â
For many years SDBS presented a series of outstanding bluegrass concerts at the First Baptist Church of Pacific Beach. Pastor Carl Whitlock was a bluegrass music lover, and he and his church graciously made this beautiful church venue available free of charge for the concerts. A couple of years ago Carl retired and the church started the quest to find a new pastor. Now, with a new pastor in place, and with the aid of SDBS board member and church member John Deckard, the concerts have resumed. SDBS presented the Brombies, an outstanding group out of Los Angeles, with special guest Dennis Caplinger (Bluegrass Etc.) at the church on April 8. The concert was a well received “welcome back” event. Let’s hope there are more to come.
Bluegrass Day at the Fair on Sunday, June 4.
The annual Bluegrass Day at the Del Mar Fair will be held this year on Sunday June 4, from 11am to 8pm, on the beautiful Paddock Stage at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Sponsored by the San Diego Bluegrass Society and the North County Bluegrass and Folk Club, the event will feature concerts by six top bands, a demonstration of old time fiddling by the California State Old Time Fiddlers Association, District 7, a youth performance, and a band scramble open to all ages and abilities. Those who sign up by May 10 for the band scramble, or to volunteer to help out, will receive a free admission pass for themselves and one guest and, while they last, a free parking pass for the entertainers’ lot. To sign up for the band scramble or to volunteer visit: http://sandiegobluegrass.org/events.html and click the link under the description about Bluegrass Day at the Fair.
Bluegrass Day at the Fair is a great event for all. If you are a player, definitely sign up for the band scramble. It’s great fun. And, you will get a free admission and parking pass for you and a guest. If you are a listener, stop by the Paddock Stage as there will be action all day long and into the evening. What a great way to enjoy a day at the fair and hear some great bluegrass music to boot!
Julian Flash Jam Caps a Week of Julian Family Fiddle Camp.
The Julian Family Fiddle Camp, held at Camp Cedar Glen outside the mountain town of Julian, was held last month. The closing event was a Flash Jam held in downtown Julian. Dozens, if not a hundred or more, musicians and bluegrass enthusiasts from the Fiddle Camp and from San Diego put on quite a show, performing in front of the Julian Town Hall and at three other venues throughout town. The musicians soon had a Pied Piper-type following of curious, smiling tourists trailing the jammers through the quaint Julian downtown.
