$7.00 The Year in Festivals Your guide to the next 12 months of the Bluegrass community Mandolin & Banjo Lessons to advance any skill Radio Playlists from favourite shows The offi cial magazine of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada Exclusive lessons, reviews, tips, tricks, and now with more picks! Volume 13 Issue 2 April 2019 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42167060 bluegrasscanada.orgTable of Contents 2019’s Bluegrass Festivals 27 18 23 33 On the cover Bluegrass in spring Columns 5 President Murray Hale’s Message 7 Mike Milner’s Bluegrass Clippings 9 Joe Rohrer’s Run Forrest Run 50 Editor Mike Kirley’s Message Lessons 11 Mandolin with Emory Lester 14 Banjo with Dennis LePage Listings 27 Festival Listing 37 Radio on the Air 48 BMAC Organization Listings Canada V o l u m e 13 I s s u e 2 $7.00 The Year in Festivals Your guide to the next 12 months of the Bluegrass community Mandolin & Banjo Lessons to advance any skill Radio Playlists from favourite shows The official magazine of the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada Exclusive lessons, reviews, tips, tricks, and now with more picks! Volume 13 Issue 2 April 2019 PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 42167060 bluegrasscanada.org APRIL 2019 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS Fill your calendar through to 2020 with our pages and pages of Bluegrass events from coast to coast Fun in the Summerland Our Linda Thorburn ruminates on the jewel of the Okanagan, the Summerland Bluegrass Festival Fiddling with Vic Mullen An in-depth look at the well-known Nova Scotian fi ddler and his legacy by our own Nancy Keddy Radio’s Finest Hours Airwaves are hot with the sweet sounds of bluegrass music. See some example playlists, then page 36 for your Radio GuideBluegrass 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 13 I s s u e 2 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 (Includes printed / mailed copy of each issue in grayscale.) • Individual Online membership: $18/y with access to digital online colour version. • 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 60 days preceding the month of publication. BMAC BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Murray Hale mhale@green-vision.ca 705-845-8112 Vice-President Mike Kirley mikekirley@gmail.com 519-653-4975 Secretary-Treasurer Roland Aucoin raucoin72@gmail.com Membership/Website Gord DeVries gord.devries95@gmail.com Grants & Funding Sarah Bea sarahbea.milner@gmail.com Social Media Carol Boyer carol.boyer@sympatico.ca General Wilson Moore wmoore@ns.sympatico.ca General Dave Featherstone davefeatherstone58@gmail.com General Lisa Pigeau blue-grass_jam@hotmail.com Contributors Gord Devries Denis LePage Emory Lester Mike Milner Jerry Murphy Dave Searle Linda Thorburn Carol Boyer 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 MASTHEADSend in Your Music! Hello once again, to all of you in the bluegrass community. I hope you are surviving this tough winter. Your association has been busy improving our website, working on magazine changes and improvements, monitoring and updating our current radio programs and producing a new radio show and bluegrass podcast. Your producers are getting prepared for the spring and summer festivals while the Northern Bluegrass Committee is getting ready to kick off their winter concert series in mid-March. The Bluegrass Music Association of Canada would like to encourage all artists to record and submit your covered and original material to us for review. We need to get especially original material sent out to our radio programs. If you need help or advice please get on the website or call us. Our current numbers and our website are listed in this magazine. A special congratulations to The Slocan Ramblers who have been nominated for a Juno award under the category of traditional roots album. Keep picking during these cold winter days and nights and it will be no time at all until the festivals kick off for the spring, summer and fall. Keep Pickin’ Murray Hale Murry Hale, president of the BMAC. By Murray HaleBMAC’s Presidential Report for April “We need to get especially original material sent out to our radio programs.” APRIL 2019 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 5 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGETt gives me great pleasure to dedicate this issue’s column to a band that is generally acknowledged as Canada’s first bluegrass group, the York County Boys. While browsing Orillia’s Goodwill (which sadly closed a number of years ago), I located their recording, Bluegrass Jamboree. Bluegrass Jamboree has been described as the first Canadian bluegrass record (although I am sure there are those in the community who are both better qualified and more knowledgeable than the author as to this claim). According to the liner notes, the band was a quintet comprising of Mike Cameron, Brian Barron, Rex Yetman, John McManaman and Fred Legere. The group had a storied career, appearing at the inaugural Mariposa Folk Festival in 1961, performing with other bluegrass musicians and generally touring much of Ontario and Atlantic Canada in the 1960’s. I am sure the more senior members of the Canadian Bluegrass fraternity have fond memories of the group and their members. The album itself is a delight to listen to, comprised of traditional blue-grass vocals and playing. I wouldn’t pick any one track as a standout, they are all great. The ensemble playing is tight, reflecting the familiarity the musicians have with each other, no doubt from the numerous live performances the band played. The singing is perhaps not quite on par with the playing, but considering this album was cut almost 60 years ago, I think it stands the test of time exceptionally well. I’m not sure if Bluegrass Jamboree was the only record the York County Boys released, but it is certainly a wonderful testament to their abilities, and well worth seeking out. This column does not have the space to begin to recognize the amazing amount of talent that was in the group, but suffice to say that their contributions to this country’s music scene were extraordinary. Bluegrass Jamboree is a landmark recording, and along with the York County Boys, no doubt was the cornerstone of Canada’s bluegrass scene. By Mike Milner “I wouldn’t pick any one track as a standout, they are all great” This York County Boys recording may be a Canadian first An alumni of the Humber jazz program, Mike Milner is currently enjoying his retirement by playing bass and listening to good music. Bluegrass Jamboree Editor’s Note: We have really appreciated Mike’s column in the past, and we wish him all the best in his future adventures in writing and playing the bass. Thanks so much Mike! Tom MacCreight will be taking over this popular column. APRIL 2019 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 7 BLUEGRASS CLIPPINGSDon’t Poke the Bear The humorous antics and musings of Forrest and friends By Joe “Honest t’ Goodness” Rohrer Joe Rohre is the bassist for Rhyme N Reason So ‘bout 4 o’clock this morning I woke up shiverin. ‘parently the fire was nearly out, and it was colder’n a polar bear’s nose in the cabin, so I says to m’self, “self, she looks so calm and peaceful layin’ there snoozing the night away.” Then another little voice in my head said “you know better, DON’T POKE THE SLEEPIN’ BEAR!” Then I says t’ m’self, “it’s sooo cold in here, she won’t mind if you gently rouse her from her sleep.” So I tenderly tickle her ribs with my elbow and said, “Oh fairest queen of sleep, would you mind terribly goin’ down and getting an armload o’ kindlin’ from the back porch and stoking that ol’ cookstove up just a tad? I would but it seems I have misplaced my slippers!” Then that other little voice inside me said “SEE, I TOLDJA, YOU NEVER LISTEN...” This mornin’ ol’ wusername was standin’ there takin’ a sip o’ coffee outa that ol’ tin cup she likes so much, starin’ out the window, when she said “hey you old fool, what’s that thing parked in the middle of the back yard?” I said, “it’s a canon.” Ol’ wusername said, “WHAT IN THE NAME O’ HARRY’S WIFE HAVE YOU GOT A CANON FOR YOU OLD FOOL??!!!!” I said, “Well, you know that ol’ stray cat what tore up your flower beds so bad the other day? Well, my aim ain’t good ‘nough with a sling shot, and you loaned my shot gun t’ Granny cause she’s got a weasel what likes the taste of her tame ducks, so I fetched this here field piece home from in front of the Legion hall for a couple o’ days.” Ol’ wusename said, “and what do you intend on doin’ with it?” I said, “Well, I put in a charge o’ powder, half a pail of gravel stones, a couple cans of sardines and some stale crackers, and all the chicken bones what was left over from suffer last night. I figger it’s got ‘nough spread on it, all I gotta be is somewhere near that ol’ stray when I touch it off, and he’ll get the notion that he’d be better off picnicin’ in somebody else’s flower bed rather than your’s!” Uh oh... APRIL 2019 BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 9 RUN FORREST, RUNNext >