$7.00 Bluegrass Breaks Through How bluegrass music is infi ltrating Ontario’s folk scene Festival Report BMAC is in the Community Keep Limber Easy exercises to help you perform The offi cial magazine of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada Exclusive lessons, reviews, tips, tricks, and now with more picks! Volume 12 Issue 4 October 2018 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42167060 bluegrasscanada.orgTable of Contents The Great Blue Invasion 19 22 25 34 On the cover Toronto bluegrass band The Slocan Ramblers. Pictured (left to right): Alastair Whitehead, Adrian Gross, Darryl Poulsen, and Frank Evans. Photo by Jen Squires Columns 5 President Murray Hale’s Message 6 Mike Milner’s Bluegrass Clippings 7 Nancy Keddy’s East Coast Bluegrass 8 Linda Thorburn’s Out West 9 Joe Rohrer’s Run Forrest Run 38 Editor Mike Kirley’s Message Lessons 10 Banjo with Dennis LePage 12 Mandolin with Emory Lester 14 Recordring with Dave Searle Listings 24 Festival Listing 32 Radio on the Air 36 BMAC Organization Listings Canada V o l u m e 12 I s s u e 4 $7.00 Bluegrass Breaks Through How bluegrass music is infiltrating Ontario’s folk scene Festival Report BMAC is in the Community Keep Limber Easy exercises to help you perform The official magazine of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada Exclusive lessons, reviews, tips, tricks, and now with more picks! Volume 12 Issue 4 October 2018 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42167060 bluegrasscanada.org OCTOBER 2018 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Bluegrass Borealis We highlight the Bluegrass of the north, with an in-depth look at Sudbury’s Northern Lights Festival Boréal New and vibrant Bluegrass is on stages across the country! Bluegrass is everywhere, starting on page 19 Legacy in Eastern Ontario An in-depth look at Bluegrass “living legend” Buddy Clark and his infl uence on local musicians and the industry Take Your Pick Explore the world of high-end picks with this new feature series from The Pick Shoppe’s own Carol BoyerBluegrass Music Association of Canada BMAC is a non-profi t 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. Specifi cally: 1) The establishment of bluegrass categories in the Juno Awards; 2) Lobbying with other musical genres for changes in US laws to allow easier access to the US by Canadian musicians; 3) Establishing a national bluegrass awards program not in confl ict with the two existing regional awards events; 4) Sponsoring Canadian Bands to Showcase at IBMA; 5) Supporting Canadian bands efforts to play in other parts of the country; 6) Seeking grant funding to achieve these goals. V o l u m e 12 I s s u e 4 Email: membership@ bluegrasscanada.org Website: bluegrasscanada.org Publisher Gord DeVries Editor Mike Kirley Art Director Sarah Bea Publishing Associate James Kerr SUBSCRIPTION One Year $25 / Free with Membership The Bluegrass Canada magazine is digitally published quarterly in January, April, July and October, online in the ‘Members Only’ section of the Bluegrass Canada website. For more information email membership@bluegrasscanada.org. • Individual BMAC memberships: $25/y • Organizational memberships: $50/y All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without the written permission from the Publisher. PRINTED IN CANADA. CANADA POST CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL SALES PRODUCT AGREEMENT No. 42167060. Send change of addresses and underliverable notices of Canadian addresses to BMAC, c/o Gord DeVries, 22790 Amiens Road, Komoka, ON N0L 1R0, 519-719-2501 Please send articles, calendar information, 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 publication. BMAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Murray Hale mhale@green-vision.ca 705-845-8112 Vice-President Brian Powley brobriansbluegrass@gmail.com 613-544-9898 Secretary-Treasurer Roland Aucoin raucoin72@gmail.com 905-572-0116 Magazine Editor Mike Kirley mikekirley@gmail.com 519-653-4975 Membership/Website Gord DeVries gord.devries@rogers.com 519-719-2501 Grants & Funding Sarah Bea sarahbea@gmail.com Social Media Carol Boyer carol.boyer@sympatico.ca General Wilson Moore wmoore@ns.sympatico.ca Contributors Kristin Cavoukian Gord Devries Nancy Keddy Denis LePage Emory Lester Mike Milner Jerry Murphy Joe Rohrer Dave Searle Linda Thorburn Advertising Rates & Specs Gord DeVries 519-719-2501 Printing A & B Print Inc., 519-652-0321 4026 Meadowbrook Dr. #135 London ON N6L 1C8 Distribution Strictly Addressing, 519-433-4242 4-1025 Hargrieve Rd. London ON N6E 1P7 Canada BMAC is a non-profi t 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: 4 BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA BLUEGRASSCANADA.ORG MASTHEADBluegrass in the Fall Well, bluegrass is certainly alive and well in Canada. With over twenty festivals on the east coast and Que- bec and about the same number in Ontar- io, four in Alberta, five in Saskatchewan, fifteen in British Columbia and one in the Yukon (that we know of), we are providing lots of bluegrass entertainment in this coun- try. Kudos to bands, musicians and produc- ers who all work hard to make this happen. Don’t forget, fast approaching in Oc- tober, the Downeast Bluegrass and Oldtime Music Society will present the 34th annual Eastern Canada Bluegrass Awards, and the Central Canadian Blue- grass Awards follow in November. Let’s get out and support these events and enjoy some top Canadian Bluegrass— and applaud the category winners. Lastly the annual BMAC year-end meeting will take place at the Central Canadian Bluegrass Awards in Hunts- ville. It is open to the public and we hope to see new faces and especially those promoting events there. We will review what has been accomplished this year and set our sights on some new goals for next year. The meet- ing will not be during show hours. BMAC attended several festivals across Ontario this summer, and are hoping to attend even more next year. You can find my festival reports in this magazine’s news section. BMAC representatives attended Manitoulin Island’s Bluegrass in the Country Festival, the Northern Lights Folk Festival in Sudbury, Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, and Minden Hills Bluegrass Festival in Minden Hills. From what we can gather, all other festivals are going well. The reports from Minden , Gallop and Spencerville were all great (I must apologize for not having reports on these other festivals—I’m sure they were just as eventful, fun and well attended). Feel free to let us know more about your festivals and how they went in the future. We appreciate and support any and all promoted Blue- grass events. Keep up the good work. Murray Hale “Let’s get out and support these events.” Murry Hale, president of the BMAC. By Murray HaleCanadian Bluegrass is Alive and Well The Nelson Family Retraction BRANTFORD, ON Susan Nelson - 519-750-4111 theartofsusannelson@silomail.com Susan Nelson - Vocals & Guitar Charles Nelson - Vocals, Mandolin, & Guitar Sam Nelson - Bass Pete Atkins - Banjo In our previous issue, Bluegrass Canada published an incorrect phone number for The Nelson Family Bluegrass band. Below is an updated profile with the correct information. OCTOBER 2018 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 5 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEThe Humber River Valley Boys cut They Said It Couldn’t Be Done during a six day session (from March 31 - April 5, 1980) at Evolution 2000 recording studio, Bramalea Ontario. The album was released on the Boot Records label (BBG 6010), a Canadian label that was created by Stompin’ Tom Connors and is the home of a number of fine Canadian bluegrass recordings. I was not familiar with the group, and even the search engine super powers of Google was unable to provide much background information for this review. What little information I have been able to glean would seem to indicate they were staples of the bluegrass community and festival scene here in Ontario during the mid 1970’s (and probably into the 1980’s as well, I would imagine). Since the Humber River runs through Toronto, I would also think it’s a safe bet to assume the band members were from the South-Central area of Ontario. It’s a shame that there isn’t more information available about the band, because They Said It Couldn’t Be Done was a very good bluegrass recording from what I am sure was a great local Ontario group. According to the liner notes, The Humber River Valley Boys were a quintet made up of the following individuals: Randy Hill (mandolin, dobro mandolin, vocals), Larry Smith (guitar, vocals), Eric Jackson (bass, vocals), Brian Pickell (banjo, vocals) and Don Thurston (fiddle, vocals). The album contains 12 songs of a good vari- ety, showcasing the bands instrumental strengths and strong ensemble playing and harmony vocals. While there is a respectful nod to the masters (the band covers Bill Monroe’s “My Sweet Blue Eyed Darlin’”), the recording bears the (then) modern influences of such 1970’s blue- grass bands as The Seldom Scene, Old & In The Way and The New South. The band performs a particularly good version of “I’ve Just Seen The Rock Of Ages,” featuring a great arrangement and very soulful vocal. There are no originals on the record, but the song selection is inspired. The production values on the album ensure the listener is treated to a crisp, clean and clear sound with excellent balance between the instruments and the group’s vocal harmonies. There is a strong emphasis on the group’s sound as well. The soloists receive lots of space. If I was to quibble about anything, perhaps a bit more attention could have been paid to the lead vocals; however, overall, this a very credible recording by a very good group, produced by Denis LePage. I’m not sure how many copies of They Said It Couldn’t Be Done were pressed, (or sold), but I would not hesitate to rec- ommend this recording to any bluegrass fan. If you happen to see a copy some- where at a thrift store (like I did at Value- Village), or locate one at a used record store, do yourself a favour and hear some great Canadian bluegrass circa 1980. By Mike Milner “...They were STAPLES of the bluegrass community and festival scene here in Ontario during the mid 1970’s” An album by the Humber River Valley Boys An alumni of the Humber jazz program, Mike Milner is currently enjoying his retirement by playing bass and listening to good music. They Said It Couldn’t Be Done! 6 BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA BLUEGRASSCANADA.ORG BLUEGRASS CLIPPINGSA bluegrass festival that has survived for forty years makes one wonder, “how has it lasted this long?” The five-acre parcel of land where bluegrass is held in Coombs was purchased in 1928 for $34.00 for back taxes owed. Much later, in the 70’s, the group using the land, the Triangle Riding Club, needed a fundraiser to allow them to continue to use it. They decided to try a bluegrass festival, but in order to control it themselves, there had to be an agricultural use for the land. And so, a rodeo was developed and the land came to be known as the Coombs Rodeo Grounds. The Coombs Bluegrass Festival celebrated forty years of bluegrass on August 3-5 2018. The event is produced by the Coombs Hilliers Recreation and Community Organization each year on the community organization’s field, 2601 Alberni Highway (#4), Coombs Rodeo Grounds in Coombs. Camping for the event is first come first pick. The festival has a rich history of bluegrass musicians displayed on their Wall of Fame, with 40 years of pictures, newspaper clippings and memorabilia. The festival has a multitude of things to amuse both the musician and the audience listener. Usually, there are several instrument workshops, a slow jam workshop each day, and a singing & harmony workshop. There’s often a band scramble to sign up for, lots of raffles including a chance to win a bluegrass guitar, and merchandise to purchase, such as the artists’ CD’s. Frequently, the Hall is used as a stage for an open mic on Thursday night so everyone can have a chance to play onstage. This is not your showcase festival, where the bands are whisked away before you catch a glimpse of them. They are required to come out and play with the jammers. This has created some of the finest parking lot picking at any festival I have ever attended. By the end of the weekend people will know most of the campers, including the bands. Many folks return year after year to renew old bluegrass friendships and make the festival part of their summer. Another special custom is “The Circle”: everyone joins hands and dances to “Will the Circle Be Unbroken,” and then the festival is over for another year. One of the reasons for the festival’s longevity is one of the original volunteers Jim Brown. Jim always shows up and along with other determined folk, who have volunteered their time, the Coombs Hilliers Community & Recreation Organization, they have defied all odds and have carried on this festival. My husband and I discovered Coombs Bluegrass Festival by chance; it was my first festival and I was hooked, although I did not have a banjo yet. I can’t help but feel proud to have learned to pick the banjo right there in Coombs. If you are on Vancouver Island, around the B.C. Day long weekend, this is a really fun thing to do. Next year will be the 41st Coombs Bluegrass Festival and we hope to see you there. By Linda Thorburn “The Coombs Bluegrass Festival celebrated forty years of bluegrass on August 3-5 2018.” 40 Years of Bluegrass History 1978-2018 Linda Thorburn is a banjo player and bluegrass community leader. Coombs Bluegrass Festival OCTOBER 2018 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 7 OUT WESTProfile on Ryan Dillman My profile for this month is a relatively young Bluegrass Musician, born and raised in Nova Scotia, who plays traditional bluegrass. I keep hearing that as generations of older bluegrass fans disappear, so will the traditional style. I beg to disagree with that as there are many upcoming bands, and yes, some are progressive, but at the same time, there are still those young people who have a genuine interest in keeping tradition alive. The musician I am referring to is the young (in my mind) Ryan Dillman. Ryan and I con- versed back and forth on the computer, and then on a particularly cold March night, after all day enduring a full blown nor’easter (and those can be vicious here on the East Coast with the close proximity of the At- lantic ocean), I called him. This is what came of that conversation. Ryan Dillman, born October 20 1987, was raised in Eastern Passage, outside of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He comes from a musical family and by the age of eight, he was attending bluegrass festivals on a regular basis. He first sang and played mandolin on stage in 1995 with Eric Bowers, whose band was performing at the Stewiacke Bluegrass Festival that year. The spring of 1996, at an indoor festival, Ryan sang and played guitar at the Old Orchard Inn, Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Larry Sparks was headlining that year and I remember a very young Ryan, complete with guitar and singing “Little Benny,” with Larry Sparks’ band backing him. He has also performed on stage with the late James King numerous times when he was in the area. His first instrument was the mandolin, followed by guitar, fiddle and banjo which he plays in his current band, Ryan Dillman & Shadow River. At age 13, his first band, First Class Bluegrass was followed by Ryan Dillman & Whitewater. Ryan then played banjo with Dale Wood’s multi-award winning band, Grassfire, recording on Grassfire’s CD, After Twenty Years. Upon moving to the Annapolis Valley he met David Doyle and in 2010 Shadow River was formed with original members— Ryan Dillman (banjo/ vocals) David Doyle (guitar/lead vocals), Lukas Monroe (fiddle/ vocals) and Brian Hazlett (bass). As of 2018, the band stands the same, but with an addition, Luke Teasdale on mandolin. Shadow River Bluegrass Band released two CDs, Shadow River (self- titled) and Ramblin’ Fever. Ryan also released a solo project in 2017, Clean Slate. He also has his own recording studio known as Great Dane Media. The band members, Ryan (banjo), David (male vocalist), Brian (bass) & Luke (fiddle), all have their Eastern Canadian Bluegrass Music Awards Masters (ed. note: referring to them winning an award 5 times), with Shadow River Band picking up: “Most Promising Band of the Year,” (2011); “Band of the Year”; “Vocal Group of the Year”; “Gospel Performance of the Year”; “Composer of the Year” (Ryan -2012, 2014, 2015, 2017). For more information please contact Ryan on Facebook or at shadowriverbluegrass.com or ryandillmanbanjo.com. “He comes from a musical family and by the age of eight, he was attending bluegrass festivals on a regular basis.” Nancy profiles a talented Nova Scotian picker Nancy Keddy is the host of “Bluegrass Atlantic”, a 2-hour showcase of regional, national, and international bluegrass artists. It airs every Tuesday evening at 8pm on CIOE 97.5 FM, with a repeat broadcast airing Thursday mornings at 1am. The show is also available to listen online at communityradio.ca. By Nancy Keddy Ryan Dillman 8 BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA BLUEGRASSCANADA.ORG EAST COAST BLUEGRASSThe Skunk Protest The humorous antics and musings of Forrest and friends By Joe “Honest t’ Goodness” Rohrer Ol’ wusername came home yesterday and said, “Wudid you do t’day you old fool?” I said “Well, me and a few of the fellers went down to Granny’s to watch the protest.” Ol’ wusername said “WHAT PROTEST?!!!” I said, “a bunch of them people from PETA decided to protest Granny’s little fur farm, so two whole busloads of ‘em showed up with big ol’ protest signs and horns and drums and such, and loud speakers and flags and banners and all kinds of corruption! Ol’ wusername said “HOW’D GRANNY HANDLE ALLTHAT???” I said, “BRILLIANTLY!” Ol’ wusername said, “WUDYAMEAN BRILLIANTLY YOU OLD FOOL??!!!!!” I said, “Well, all them citiots thought Granny was raisin’ chinchillas or mink, or some other such meek and mild creature, so when they had all packed themselves into Granny’s front yard, she snuck around and latched the gate lockin’ the whole herd of ‘em all bunched up in her yard. Then she Joe Rohre is the bassist for Rhyme N Reason snuck back and opened all her cages up and let ALL her critters loose to run around with all them dandies!” Ol’ wuserame said “THEN WHAT HAPPENED??!!!!!” I said, “Well, when all them protesters found out Granny was raisin’ skunks, all hell broke loose! People started screamin’ and jumpin’ up and down, swingin’ signs and coats and umbrellas and each other, and the odd skunk too! Finally, a Mountie run up and unlatched the gate, then he took off on the dead run followed by a steady stream of bawlin’, gagin’, cryin’ protesters. Ol’ wusername said, “WUDID THEY DO WHEN THEY GOT FREE?” I said, “Well, they all tried to climb back on the buses that fetched ‘em here, but the drivers wouldn’t let ‘em on and took off back to where they come from. The whole gaggle of protesters formed a ragged line and had to hoof ‘er all the way back to the city. Then Granny come out with a big tin bucket, bat on it with a wooden spoon a couple times, whistled, and all her skunks crawled back into their cages to get fed. Then we went to the Legion and had a beer, then I come home. Wudid you do t’day?” Ol’ wusername was standin’ by the kitchen door the next morning, and caught me tryin’ to sneak out with a fishin’ pole in my hand. Right off the hop she started— “WHEREDYATHINK YOU’RE GOIN’ WITH THAT FISHIN’ POLE YOU OLD FOOL, AND WHERE’S THAT LIST OF CHORES I LEFT ON THE TABLE FOR YA?!!!” I said, “Oh my cutest little chipmunk in the wood pile, I had that list rolled up and tucked in my hip pocket when I took my stroll ‘cross the yard this mornin’, but unbenounced to me, halfway there it fell outa my pocket. When I reached my journey’s end I turned and noticed it layin’ there, the risin’ sun reflectin’ off it like a diamond in the rough. Just at that very moment, a crow swooped down from outa that big ol’ pine tree on the knoll, snatched it up in his beak, and without so much as a squeak or a squawk, carried it aloft with them devil wings o’ his, and took it back to his nest way up in that old oak tree on the hill just ‘bove the creek at the end of the big swamp! I figger’d I’d take my ol’ fishin pole here and try castin’ up into the tree in hopes of retrievin’ the note you so lovingly writ for me, so’sd I can fulfill your wishes and do ALL them chores! Ol’ wusername said, “OH YA? THEN WHAT’S THAT CAN O’ WORMS FOR YOU GOT IN YOUR OTHER HAND??!!!!!” Uh oh, (this ain’t gonna end well!) OCTOBER 2018 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 9 RUN FORREST, RUNNext >