Volume 11 Issue 3 July 2017 BANDS ISSUE WWW.BLUEGRASSCANADA.ORG Spinney Brothers RETIRE. Notre Dame de Grass ** Bluegrass is alive and well in Quebec **Bluegrass Canada July 2017 - 3 V o l u m e 11 I s s u e 3 Publisher - The Bluegrass Music Association of Canada Editor - Mike Kirley Design/Production - Gord DeVries The Bluegrass Canada magazine is digitally published quarterly in Jan- uary, April, July and October, online in the ‘Members Only’ section of the Bluegrass Canada website. • Individual membership fees are $18 per year, or $25 per year for those wishing a grayscale hard copy. • Individual ‘Affiliate’ membership fees are $15 per year. This special membership category is reserved for members of a registered Member Organization. • Organizational memberships are $50 per year. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without the written permission from the Pub- lisher. PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO.42167060.RETURN UNDELIV- ERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO BMAC, c/o Gord DeVries, 22790 Amiens Road, KOMOKA ON N0L 1R0, 519-719-2501, membership@bluegrasscanada. org. Please send articles, calendar infor- mation, photos and letters to : Bluegrass Canada Mike Kirley 831 Rose Street, Cambridge ON N3H-2G2 Email: mikekirley@gmail.com Telephone: 519-653-4975 Deadline for submissions is 45 days preceding the month of pub- lication. Bluegrass Music Association of Canada BMAC is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and promotion of bluegrass and old-time music in Canada, and supported by the volunteer efforts of its members. BMAC Mission Statement The BMAC mission statement as enacted in the by-laws: a) Dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Bluegrass and Old-time music throughout Canada. Goals: b) To support individuals, groups and organizations involved in bluegrass and old- time music. c) To provide leadership and promote education among fans, clubs, bands and artists. BMAC Board of Directors President - Position currently unoccupied Vice-President - David Porter porterd@blackburnlodge.com Secretary /Treasurer - Roland Aucoin raucoin@execulink.com- 905-572-0116 Membership/Website - Gord DeVries gord.devries@rogers.com - 519-719-2501 Magazine Editor - Mike Kirley mikekirley@gmail.com - 519-653-4975 Advertising - Susan Nelson theartofsusannelson@silomail.com General - Murray Hale mhale@green-vision.ca - 705-474-2217 General - Wilson Moore wmoore@ns.sympatico.ca General - Sarah Bea Milner sarahbea@gmail.com Ongoing Volunteers Joe Rohrer - (ON - Regular column contributer) Bryon Thompson - (BC - Regular column contributer) Gloria Jean Hansen - (ON Regular column Contributer) Sue Malcolm (BC - Event Calendar) - sue@suemalcolm.com Jerry Murphy (NS - Event calendar Admin) - jerry@jerrysnews.com Nancy Tellier - (ON - Event Calendar Admin) - nancy.tellier069@sympatico.ca Nellie Holmes (ON - Event Calendar Admin) - thepieplates@gmail.com Printing- A & B Print Inc. - 519-652-0321 4026 Meadowbrook Dr. #135 London ON N6L 1C8 Distribution- Strictly Addressing - 519-433-424 4-1025 Hargrieve Rd. London ON N6E 1P7 Advertising- Susan Nelson - 519-750-4111 theartofsusannelson@silomail.com CD Reviews- Pat Moore patmoore@patmoore.netWHAT’S BEHIND THE CURTAIN? Regular Features Editor’s Message5Mike Kirley Run Forrest Run7Joe Rohrer In The News/Letters8Staff How to Promote Your Band10Gord DeVries New Members this Quarter11Staff Non-Members Band Listing12Staff Member Band Listing16Staff Notre Dame De Grass24Mike Kirley The Gibson Brothers - Exploring a Canadian Influence 30Joseph Terrell 6 Month Festival Guide34Staff The Partridge38Mike Kirley Road vs Studio Bands40 Ted Lehmann Review Notre Dame De Grass ‘That’s Ho w The Music Begins’ 42Mike Kirley Review - Rhyme ‘N’ Reason ‘Season of Change’ 43Mike Kirley Radio On The Air44Staff BMAC Organizational Members 46Staff 4 - Bluegrass Canada JANUARY 2017 ANNUAL *RADIO MEDIA* ISSUE • MORE INTERVIEWS - NEWS ITEMS - REGULAR COLUMNS ARTICLE SUBMISSION - THE DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF AUGUST 2017 NEXT ISSUE (OCTOBER 2017) Notre Dame De Grass Feature Interview 24 6-Month Festival Listing 34 Non-Member Band Listings 12 Member Band Listings 12Bluegrass Canada July 2017 - 5 EDITOR’S MESSAGE by Mike Kirley Someone asked me the other day, “How do you start a Bluegrass band?” I would say begin with a pickin’ buddy who is as committed as you are. You can often find one at your nearest Bluegrass Festival. They will be the one sitting in the front row, listening to every song instead of chatting with their neigh- bour. Or it could be the one singing around the campfire long after others have gone to bed. Learn to sing harmony together and build up a repertoire of six songs or so. Start with simple two or three chord songs from the Masters: Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, The Stanley Brothers, Hazel Dickens or Jimmy Martin. If one of you plays guitar, the other one should play mandolin or banjo. Go to as many Bluegrass events as you can. Watch for one thing each time to learn. Discuss it with each other. If you have a chance to see an American band, even better. They invented Blue- grass, and they seem to have it in their DNA. If neither of you sing tenor, then make a point to find a pickin’ buddy who does. Many women are good at tenor. (sopra- no, as they would call it) If your third pickin’ buddy plays the bass, all the better. Then your sound will become “locked in”. Finding that fourth person might take awhile. Go and play at Bluegrass clubs and keep your eyes and ears open. They will turn up sooner or later. Fiddle clubs are good, too. But remember, you want a vocalist too, if possible. Some- times other bands are the best source for information. They know who can play and sing in the area. You want someone close to your area because you are going to have to practice a lot, at least once a week or more if possible. Once you have a set of ma- terial, (12 songs with one of them being an instrumental) start playing in public anywhere you can…..even for free. You will need the experience of playing for an audience. Senior Homes are a good place to try first. They are so appreciative. Family get togethers, birthday parties, retirement parties, weddings; any occasion will do. It comes without saying that you must all get along. It is not easy to play Bluegrass, and frustrations are bound to rise. Be patient with each other, and celebrate accom- plishments. During this process of beginning a band together, you will become family, and harmony should result whenever music is played together. Ego has no place in Bluegrass bands. Those bands that do have too much ego have a lot of band turnover. Each band member has strengths and each member has weaknesses. Learn to take con- structive criticism from other members. It is for the good of the whole band. Bluegrass is democrat- ic: each musician takes a break and all should sing if possible. In closing, I would just like to say that being in a Bluegrass band has given me a lot of mileage. It has been intense at times, but the re- sults were very satisfying. It is really a beautiful thing if done right. One more point…music is pleasant sound. Make your band pleasant sound. Fans will thank you for it. And yes…..you will have fans. --Mike6 - Bluegrass Canada July 2017 Bluegrass Canada July 2017 - 7 JOE ROHRER - RUN-FORREST-RUN DOWN THE LANE ,,,, IN THE OUT- HOUSE , PEEKIN THROUGH THE QUARTER MOON AND YELLIN HER HEAD OFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! “ I said don’t worry my little apple worm ,,she’ll be just fine . there’s a stack of FIELD AND STREAM maga- zines to read ,a candle and a basket full of corn cobs , she’ll be good for two or three days , or ‘till that thing finally comes to rest in DIDJA EVER HAVE ONE O’ THEM DAYS ?~ got outa bed this morning, walked over to the dresser to get some duds , stubbed my toe on the dress- er . dance a jig holdin on to my throb- bin toe , got my good foot caught up in the quilt and landed head first in the closet . sat on the edge of the bed to put on some clean socks ( of which I could only find one ! ) and promptly poked my big toe through the end of it ! stepped out on the back porch to get a clean pair o’ strides and a clean shirt off the clothes line , they’re still wet ! then ol wusername sent me to the feed store for some quick lime for the throne room ~ in the only DRY clothes I could find, one of her old sun dresses and a pair of rubber boots ! NOBODY AT THE FEED STORE EVEN BATTED AN EYE !!!! ( it ain’t the first time this has hap- pened !! ) now ol’ wusername wants me to go to town shoppin with her ,, no no ~~~~~~~~~~RUN FORREST ~~~~RUN ~~~!!!!!!!!!!!! a tree or a barn roof or som’n ! oh oh ~~~~~~~~~~~~RUN FORREST ~~~~~~~~RUN ~~~~~~~~!!!!! ol’ wusername come home last night and said “ the county must be gonna widen the road through town , they got all the fences and mail boxes and trees knocked down all the way from the 30 mile an hour sign to the hitchin post in front of the hardware store !” I said NAH thawt ain’t it , but your close !! ol ‘ wusername said ‘ well what’s goin on then ??” I said d’you remember that old CAT- ERPILLAR CRAWLER that set ahind the drive shed at the farm equip- ment place ? ol’ wusername said “yup “ I said well , the feller at the farm equipment place told granny if’n she could get it started , she could have it ! ol’ wusername said “wutzat got to do with all the road work ??!! “ I said well , she got it started , but she couldn’t stop it !! she come down the road , that old crawler shiverin and shakin ,Granny hoppin up and down on the seat, pullin and pushin levers and stop- min on peddles , cussin an swearin like a drunk sailor !!!! the only thing she didn’t hit on main street was that old dog of Mrs. Carson’s that chases every thing that moves on the street ! the feller from the county said “it’s the best make work project we’ve had in years ,,it’’ take 10 or 12 men all summer to fix this mess ! “ ol’ wusername said “WHAT WAS YOU DOIN WHEN ALL THIS WAS GOIN ON ??!! “ I said I was sittin on the porch at the feed store watchin the ol’ girl destroy the settlement !!!! ol’ wusername said “WHY DIDN’T YOU HELP THE POOR OL’ GIRL ???!!!!! “ I said I couldn’t ! ol’ wusername said “WHYNOT ?!!!!!!! “ I SAID CAUSE I WAS LAUGHIN TOO HARD !!! oh oh ~~~~~~~~~~RUN FORREST ~~~~~~~~RUN ~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!! just a couple minutes ago ol’ wus- ername stepped into the kitchen from the back porch and said “GITCHER SWAMPERS ON QUICK , AND GET SOME ROPE AND YOUR TRAPPIN BOAT AND SOME LIFE JACKETS AND SOME BLANKETS ,,,, DON’T JUST STAND THERE YOU OLD FOOL ,,, GET TO IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!! “ I said what’s all the kerfuffle my little swamp flower ?? ol’ wusername said “ I WAS HEAD- ED FOR THE OUTHOUSE WHEN I HEARD SOMEBODY HOLLERIN DOWN THE LANE ,SO I SHINED A LIGHT IN THAT DIRECTION , AND THERE WAS GRANNY DRIFTIN By Joe ‘Honest t’ Goodness’ Rohrer Joe Rohrer is the bass player for Rhyme N Reason8 - Bluegrass Canada July 2017 IN THE NEWS / LETTERS Rick Spinney, banjo player for the Nova Scotia, Cana- da-based band, The Spinney Brothers, recently an- nounced that he is to leave the band at the end of the summer season. Formed in 1991 as The Spinney Brothers & Close Company they became a full-time touring band in 2010. Prior to that they were con- sistent winners of awards from the Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Music organization and, gradually, they gained international recognition as a very talented band. For the past 25 years the Spinney brothers have been entertaining fans all across north America. They have performed in every province in their home country of Canada, and in over 40 states in the U.S.A. from the first show at their local high school to the prestigious stage at the IBMA Awards show in Ra- leigh, North Carolina, and the main stage at MerleFest to the Station Inn in Nashville, TN, and countless performances at Bill Monroe’s icon- ic Bean Blossom festival in Bean Blossom, IN. During their career they have re- leased 12 albums, on four of these – those recorded for the Mountain Fever label – they have gained a total of four #1 hits (one from each CD). As well as winning nearly every award possible in the eastern region of Canada, they have been nominated for three IBMA awards, including Emerging Artist and Song of the Year for Grandpa’s Way of Life (written by Brink Brinkman). As young musicians mature, get married and have children, their priorities change and, while for quarter of a century they have been living the dream, both the boys have decided that they are getting off the road. Rick Spinney, who made his inten- tions known first, is in a typically reflective mood …… “The road has been good to us, so has the music, the people however have been OUTSTANDING. We have made so many friends and fans through this humbling and incredible genre of music. We have met great new musicians, worked side by side our own personal hero’s and maintained our personal goal, which was to put forth solid traditional bluegrass music and do it with respect, appreciation and dignity, which we have always felt the music and its creators deserve. As a Canadian band, we feel that we have been accepted with open arms and with the greatest of hos- pitality from our Southern neigh- bors, for that, we are overwhelm- ingly grateful. It is vitally important that each one who takes the time to read this, knows how important of a role each of you play in the growth and sustainability of the music we believe in, a role in supporting not only the bands, the venues, the promoters, and the essence of the music itself. We have been able to fulfill and live a dream that most can only imagine and we have carried each of our fans, friends and family members with us every single mile of the journey and owe a great deal to those who have supported us, from the beginning to the present. The list of people to mention is 25 years long… but let me note that without the belief in us from influential people like Mark Hodg- es, owner of our record label, Mountain Fever Records, and Kyle Cantrell with SiriusXM radio our international recognition and achievements may not have hap- pened. For me, it is imperative that I step away from the music and put as much effort in being the best father and husband I can be. That can’t be done when I’m on the road over 200 days a year. It is with ev- ery bit of mixed and deep emotion that I announce this. I hope to see some of you in a jam somewhere and to remind the readers that just because we’re not touring, doesn’t mean you can’t continue to get CDs from our website. Thank you once again to Blue- grass Today and all media outlets for your continued support.” Older brother Allan Spinney acknowledges the special chemistry that comes with brothers singing and play- ing music together and con- templates what the future holds for him and his wife …. “As you know, my brother Rick has decided to cease full time travel as the Spinney Brothers bluegrass The Spinney Brothers to quit the road Reprinted with permission from BLUEGRASS TODAY. (https://bluegrasstoday.com) Article posted on May 18, 2017 by Richard ThompsonBluegrass Canada July 2017 - 9 IN THE NEWS / LETTERS band. Family and home is an im- portant part of life, and being that he has a wife at home and two fine young boys to raise he has decided to come off the road. We have ac- complished a lot together musically and I’m appreciative of having had the opportunity to do all that we have done as a duo brother act. As for myself, I am planning on spending some quality time with my wife Lynn, resting up a bit from our extensive traveling schedule, think about where to go from here and then who knows what!! I guess we will have to wait and see what is in the future for me. I would also like to mention that I am very grateful for the support from all the promoters, DJs, and many fans who have been so kind and generous to the Spinney Brothers. Without question bluegrass people are among some of the finest on the planet.” All the staff at Bluegrass Today thank Allan and Rick for their pro- found contributions to the blue- grass music genre and wish both of them and their respective families a blessed future as they bond and grow together. Here at Bluegrass Canada, we would like to echo the above sentiments. Allan and Rick, you have made all Canadians proud with your class act and respect for the music and the audience. We hope to see you in performance in Canadian venues for a long time to come. Traditionally Wound is very pleased to announce that Dave Jack will be joining the group as banjo player. Dave is an outstanding musician and brings his talents as well as many years of experience to the group. We are all very excited and are looking forward to our first show with Dave at the River Valley Country and Bluegrass Gathering, July 6, 7 & 8th. Dave Jack joins Traditionally WoundNext >