< PreviousBLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - 30 Under The Rocks, from Kelowna B.C., one of Canada’s premier emerging bluegrass bands, plays progressively with bluegrass instruments in a style all their own. Originally started as a duo, the full band has been together since 2016. I first heard about them while they were touring last fall and went to see their show at Char’s Landing in Port Alberni. I was immediately impressed at the outstanding musical abilities of this band. Tackling festival after festival, UTR has become known for having more fun on those stages than was previously thought possible. Featuring upright bass, acoustic guitar, fiddle and banjo/ mandolin, the band makes a big sound that tips its cap to traditional bluegrass, while incorporating fiddle and singer-songwriter music intentionally put together with clever, progressive arrangements and jaw-dropping instrumental breaks. Their show comes with a list of warnings: “you might dance until your shoes catch fire, laugh until it hurts, cry your eyes out, or have your face melted right off!” This heartfelt, talented string quartet blends uplifting energy with a reflective reverence for the difficulties of reality that marries joy and sorrow and declares “YES”. Yes to all that it means to be alive on this planet, here and now. “Under The Rocks” consists of Chris Baxter, the band leader, who sings and plays banjo and mandolin. Jordan Klassen is a monster guitar player who also sings and writes original material for the band. Chloe Davidson sings and plays her fiddle in a unique manner using past classical training, mixing it intricately into the music. Chloe is not only a three time Provincial Fiddle Champion and a Canadian Masters competitor but also a tastefully creative fiddler. Completing the band and keeping them grounded, is upright bass player Nils Loewn, who replaced Drew Schultz in June 2023. At the show I purchased their first CD, “I Am Ready,” released in the spring of 2021. Produced by Canadian Roots music producer Andrew Collins, it is a new musical experience in itself. It combines the musical talents of the band with some interesting lyrics, their special musical stylings weaving throughout the songs. The songs are alive and creatively arranged, and Andrew’s mastery brought them to life in such a powerful way that the band is still beaming about it. UTR has performed these songs at the Shady Grove, Kluane Mountain and Blueberry Bluegrass music festivals, as well as a September 2021 virtual video to the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass festival, showcasing five eclectic selections of their very excellent repertoire. We urge you to go to their YouTube channel where all their many videos are located. “ band plays progressively” “ multi award winning fiddler” Under The Rocks A hot new band from Kelowna by Linda Thorburn31OCTOBER BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE At the end of May 2021, the band and a professional videographer went on a grand adventure to the once booming town of Ocean Falls on the north coast of British Columbia to shoot a music video for the last song on the “ I Am Ready” album. Ocean Falls now stands as a ghost town and is a major piece of B.C. history. I’ve just returned from the June Cowichan Valley Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival where I saw the band again. They appeared more confidant on stage than ever before and proudly announced as a “work in progress” their next recording entitled: “Honest Try.” This, their second studio album, plans to feature ”twelve brand-new original songs, high -powered, sensitive Western Canadian bluegrass.” Chris advises: “The album will reflect our choice to be joyfully engaged in our incredible opportunity to keep making music, and to continue applying ourselves by creating the most loving and joyful world that we possibly can. We are proud of this new music. It leans into our different musical sensibilities and backgrounds, and it displays our earnest energy and approach to writing contemporary bluegrass music that combines substance with flair. The songs blend thoughtful singer-songwriter music with sensitive yet powerful fiddle music. They blend rippin’ bluegrass with experimental jams and breakdowns. We believe this album will really offer something for everyone: quality lyrics, musicianship and production.” Chris recently contacted Bluegrass Canada to tell us that they are working on this new project, but as of this writing, no firm release date is available as yet. We are looking forward to hearing more news from the band in the near future. The UTR appearance calendar was full for the summer of 2023, including successful appearances at the Cowichan and Shady Grove Bluegrass Festivals. There is much more to come from Under the Rocks. If you ever have the opportunity to see them, it is well worth the experience. Linda Thorburn More info on the band is available at www.undertherocksband.com “plans for new release” "Under The Rocks at Cowichan" UTR Summer 2023 Tour Send Comments & Feedback for Linda Thorburn to:BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - 32 DOWN EAST FEATURE Matt & the band: Matt Lunn & Echo Mountain of Nova Scotia are a popular bluegrass band that have been playing together for five years in Eastern Canada. Band leader Matt Lunn, no stranger to the stage, has been playing country and bluegrass music for many years and has a large following of fans. Matt keeps busy playing most weekends and it is not hard to appreciate his deep love for music when you see him perform. He puts his heart into every performance and whether he is singing bluegrass or country music, his voice captivates the audience. I recently attended a bluegrass concert by Matt Lunn and Echo Mountain and the fans were engaged with each song he chose that tells a story. There were many requests from the audience for their favorites and Matt delivered each and every one. Matt plays guitar with the band. Other members of Echo Mountain are Ryan Harvey who has been playing with Matt since 2017. A talented multi-instrumentalist, Ryan grew up in Nova Scotia attending bluegrass festivals with his parents. His dad is a musician and both his parents sing. He started out with the youth band “Next Generation.” Ryan first played bass with Matt and is now featured on mandolin as well as playing some guitar with them. His strong lead vocals and tight harmonies suit this band very well. Brett Decker plays banjo and fiddle, sings harmony and has been with Echo Mountain since 2019. Audiences recognize Brett from his appearances on many bluegrass stages over the years. He has been playing instruments since the age of 10 and was a member of the popular band “A New Shade of Blue” for 28 years. He also played with some other local groups such as New Sounds of Bluegrass, Harmony Ridge and Copper Kettle. Brett brings his authentic bluegrass sounds to Echo Mountain. The newest member of Matt Lunn & Echo Mountain, Dave Majcan, started with the band in 2022. With his strong harmony singing and solid bass playing you would not know he has been a part of the group for only a short time. Dave has been playing country and bluegrass music for over 20 years and when I asked how he is enjoying his time with Echo Mountain he said: “It’s a fit. I feel very comfortable with these guys, and it just seems to work very well.” He has known Matt for many years and you can feel the connection with the band members as they play together. Matt the luthier: When Matt is not entertaining on stage, he is a very busy luthier and owns his own shop: “ Route 12 Instrument Repair” located on Highway 12, just outside of Kentville, Nova Scotia. Matt has been a luthier for 14 years and was taught by Greg Pelkey. He specializes in acoustic guitars but also offers services for electric guitars, mandolins, fiddles, ukuleles and banjos. He focuses on the guitar repairs and maintenance with fellow bandmate Brett Decker working with him to repair and do maintenance on the other instruments. He also has a sales area in the shop where locals can pick up the essentials. Matt’s work is second to none and he is very popular with local musicians who trust him with their cherished instruments. Matt and his wife Kim live in Kentville, NS. MATT LUNN & ECHO MOUNTAIN Popular Bluegrass Musician and Luthier By Karen DeCoste Matt Lunn - luthier Dave Matt Ryan BrettMany of you across Canada will recognize the Poirier name as being associated with a long family tradition of fiddle players who perform traditional Acadian, Irish, East Coast Canadian tunes and bluegrass music. That name is often connected to Eddy Poirier, his wife Rose Poirier and their sons Terry and Robert Poirier. Anyone knowing this family of well- known musicians will also recognize Bryan Poirier who is Robert and Annette’s son and grandson of Eddy & Rose. Born in Moncton, New Brunswick, now residing in Nfld., Bryan is a fiddle player who grew up in a household filled with music and has very early memories of kitchen parties and stories about his great grandparents Vital and Elizabeth Poirier who were also musicians. He enjoyed listening to music played by his talented aunts and uncles, his brother and watching the musicians backstage at many bluegrass festivals. A lot of musicians remember Bryan fondly in his early days. These are the musicians he now plays music with and enjoys those lasting friendships. Bryan sings and plays many instruments. He was first introduced in the Poirier Family Band at the early age of three. A highly regarded bluegrass and country musician, Bryan went on to play with many bands, including Eddy Poirier and Grassline, the Russell Sawler Band and Janet McGarry & Wildwood, performing and touring the Canadian Festival scene for the past twenty years. (editor’s note: see Bluegrass Canada January 2022 on line: “Russell Sawler- Transcriber Extraordinaire” by Denis LePage) He was also the fiddler for New Brunswick’s Pays de la Sagouine’s house band and Corde de Bois. He enjoys recording work including mixing and being a session musician, regularly performing on guitar, dobro, bass, banjo and fiddle. He also coordinated a weekly jam at the Peter Easton Pub in St. John’s NL. Bryan currently lives in St. John’s, NL. with his partner, talented musician Kiersten Fage, an Australian-Canadian multi-instrumentalist and singer. He is working toward his Master of Arts degree specializing in slave history. Kiersten, an active part of the Australian traditional music scene for the past 15 years, is working toward her doctorate of philosophy, specializing in cultural history. We all look forward to seeing what Bryan will be involved with next. It is sure to be something exciting. Ed. Note: worth watching on YouTube is Bryan, backed by Eddy and Robert Poirier, fiddling and step dancing to “Acadian Reel” at the St. Antoine Fiddle Jam in Nov. 2017. A Poirier Family Bluegrass Tradition By Karen DeCoste From Bluegrass Canada 2016 (Top Left to Right ) Eddy Robert (Bottom Left to Right) Bryan Laurie Chavarie Bryan Poirier DOWN EAST TALENT 33OCTOBER BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINEBLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - 34 Paul Josey’s passion for fine instruments began early, having grown up in a home where music was a part of everyday life. His brothers, sister and mother were musical, some playing instruments while others in the family sang. In his early years, Paul played the guitar and sang, thereby developing a keen interest in the sound and tone of the instruments that they had at home. He learned on his own how to adjust and repair them to improve the sound. It’s not surprising that later in his life Paul would become a well respected mandolin builder with a reputation for producing instruments of the finest quality. Born in Halifax, Paul now lives in St. Margaret’s Bay, N.S. In the late 90’s he took some guitar lessons from Vic Mullen which inspired Paul, Vic, Joan Mullen and Denise Robichaud to form a band, playing local shows together. Since the mandolin they were using at the time was needed for teaching lessons, Paul began searching for a good mandolin. Unable to find something that provided the sound he wanted, he decided to build an instrument to use in the band and this started his passion for building mandolins. There was no lack of experienced instrument builders in the Nova Scotia area that Paul was able to tap into for advice, including Vernon Robichaud, JP Comeau and Charlie Derrington. Paul is also a long time friend of Robert LeBlanc who is another well-known and respected mandolin builder from New Brunswick. He considers Robert to be a mentor and together they share ideas on mandolin building. Paul related a story to me when we spoke about building his first mandolin. As he was “voicing” the instrument, he had Vic Mullen finding notes on his fiddle so that Paul was able to carve the top and hear the tones he wanted for the instrument. Paul told me: “I don’t stop working on the instrument until I get I right.” The pride in his workmanship shows and can be heard in each instrument he creates. Paul made the mandolin that Ray Legere now has; he calls it his #2 “A” style mandolin. It is one of his favorites and it has a special meaning for him. He also made an “F” style mandolin for Lou Reid of the “Seldom Scene.” There has been a lot of discussion about that instrument in the music industry. It has been described as having a deep, rich, dark tone with terrific range up and down the neck. Paul is presently working on many mandolin projects that are in different stages of development. Everything is handmade and hand carved during the building process. He uses hide glue construction in keeping with the traditional methods of the 1920 / 30’s and the early Gibson “Lloyd Loar” mandolins. Paul mixes his own stains, hand applies and hand rubs them. For the top coat he uses spirit varnish and uses “James” tailpieces. Interestingly Paul uses moose bone to make his own mandolin nuts. (editors tech note: “James” tailpieces with hinged cover are described as possibly the best mandolin-oriented invention to come along since the early 1930’s.) By Karen DeCoste Paul Josey - Nova Scotia Luthier “mixes his own stains” “a passion for building” FEATURED LUTHIER All about Paul’s skillful mandolin building Paul’s Mandolins Paul Josey35OCTOBER BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE Paul also uses Nova Scotia red spruce for the tops, the most sought-after tone wood in the world. And Nova Scotia hard curly maple for the back, sides and necks. As Paul describes it – “the red spruce has a really high ceiling, meaning the mandolin responds well to rigorous playing without the notes falling off while emanating deep, loud, rich tones that are sustained.” Paul is very passionate about the quality of Nova Scotia maple and the red spruce tone woods that he uses. His selections make Paul’s mandolins a totally local product that are being played throughout the Maritimes and beyond. The East Coast Bluegrass community has been very strongly supportive of Paul Josey’s mandolins. When he is not busy building mandolins, Paul also does a lot of instrument set up work and repairs. And he can often be seen at local events where he enjoys playing and singing with friends. Paul’s favorite mandolin players are Mike Compton and local musician Trevor Boutilier of the band “Bluegrass Tradition.” Paul fondly remembers the pleasure of having spent some “one on one” time with Mike Compton when Mike was in Nova Scotia for the 2013 “Celtic Colours International Festival.” I am looking forward to receiving an invite soon for my husband Trevor and I to visit Paul, take a peek at his workshop and hear some more great stories about his mandolin building. Perhaps we can pick a tune or two while we are there. It was a pleasure getting to better know this very kind and talented man during our conversation. Check out a Paul Josey mandolin when you get a chance. You will not be disappointed. Karen DeCoste Photos courtesy Karen DeCoste Send Comments & Feedback for Karen DeCoste to: FEATURED LUTHIER “builds a totally local product” ‘Bluegrass in the Country Murray’s festival review Bluegrass in the Country Bluegrass festival on Manitoulin Island on June 9 to the 11th was a huge success this year. Ben Lentir who both played in and promoted the festival must have been very pleased at the turnout and the comments he received regarding the weekend event. I arrived Friday evening just after dinner to some great music by Larry Carriere and Different Picks, followed by Robbie Shawanna, Ben Lentir and then Denis Lepage and Highbanks. Conversations with Ben Lentir affirmed his satisfaction with the music, the weather, the crowd and the overall progress of this festival. He is already gathering and forming ideas for future years. Saturday’s lineup boasted the likes of “The Next Generation Leahy.” The festival site on the shores of beautiful Providence Bay witnessed mostly sunshine with a few droplets of rain. The Gods seemed to be watching over us as other parts of Manitoulin got drenched. All and all it was a very fulfilling weekend and one to be highly recommended for 2024. We are still basking in the afterglow of the amazing weekend that was Bluegrass at the Barn, held June 3-4 at “The Barn” in Saskatoon and Regina. It was a truly unforgettable experience, filled with incredible music, warm community, and endless joy. We were so lucky to have such an incredible line up join us, including: The Bix Mix Boys, The Barrelmen, Deacon Creek, Emmy Lou and Mary Liv, Lucas Welsh and Soil N Grass. There were bouncy castles, horse and wagon rides, cotton candy, fresh squeezed lemonade, pierogi dinner and yummy BBQ! The Nelson Family Bluegrass Jamboree A great way to spend your weekend By Mike Higgins The Nelson Family Bluegrass Jamboree was held June 16-18, 2023 at the South Brant Legion grounds, featuring three days of stellar performances by nine of the very best of Ontario’s bluegrass bands. A weekend of concerts, jamming and fun for the entire family with profit from the Jamboree being donated to the local food bank. Described as “A family oriented event where people can come to camp for the weekend or come for the day and listen to live bluegrass music.” The Nelson Family Bluegrass band, who hosted the event, received the National 2018 Traditional CD of the Year Award from the U.S.A. Rural Roots Music Commission for their CD “The Little Boy with the Mandolin.” The editor was only able to attend the Sunday show but I was certainly very impressed with all the bands featured that day. The Sunday lineup consisting of Granite Hill, The Schotts, The Nelson Family Bluegrass and 2nd Line Bluegrass. Mike Higgins photo by Mike Higgins Note: additional photos shown elsewhere in this issue. By Murray Hale Murray Hale Bluegrass at The Barn Jille’s review from Saskatoon by Jille Shotton We hope that you had as much fun as we did, and that you will join us again next year for another unforgettable weekend of music and community. Thank you all for your support, and we look forward to seeing you again June 8-9, 2024! Larry Johnston Charles Susan Sam Nelson BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - 36 SUMMER OF 202337 OCTOBER BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE “This was Tony DeBoer’s dream that came to fruition” Hi Bluegrass fans!Just wanted you to know that Bluegrass music is alive and well in northern Ontario, the North Bay area to be exact. Since our good friend Murray Hale and his bluegrass band “Simply Blu” were performing at the River Valley Park on July 1st weekend, we decided to go and experience the bluegrass and country festival firsthand. We were not disappointed!! Six varied Bluegrass bands, coming from as far away as North Carolina, as well as four Country bands, kept us entertained Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not only was the music fantastic, the park itself was a perfect setting for this outdoor festival, right along the beautiful Temagami River. It is worth noting that this is the first of three “River Valley” festivals this summer. The second festival is held on Civic Holiday Weekend in August and the third on Labour Day Weekend . If you are interested in bluegrass, then I suggest that you check these festivals out at: camp@rivervalleybluegrasspark.ca Hope to see you there! M and D O’Neil River Valley Country & Bluegrass Gathering An enjoyable weekend at River Valley Festival By Dave O’Neill Denis LePage & Highbanks Jake Lauzon and Backcountry Some groups travel in style Tennessee Bluegrass Band Starting young at Tottenham Brief Downpour at Tottenham All Photos by Mike Higgins FESTIVAL REPORTBluegrass at the Barn in Saskatoon by Jille Shotten Stanley County Cut Ups by Joey Senft - Wpg. Night Market New General Store at Manitoulin photo courtesy of Nancy Tellier PO Ramblin Boys at Cowichan by Conor Regan Granite Hill at Nelson FamilyFestival By Mike Higgins The Mighty Teardrops at Cowichan By Conor Regan BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - 38 SUMMER OF 2023 2nd Line Bluegrass Grand River, Ont Photo by Mike Higgins39 OCTOBER BLUEGRASS CANADA MAGAZINE 5 on a String 50th NS Festival Poirier Robichaud Arsnenault Photo Courtesy of Karen DeCoste High Fidelity with Serge Bernard PEI Dysfunction Junction Photo by Linda Thorburn Bill White and White Pine Photo by Mike Higgins The Schott’s at Nelson Family Photo by Mike Higgins Stoney Lonesome at Evergood Shindig, Ontario Photo by Mike Higgins SUMMER OF 2023 The Fiddlaires Lucie & Wilson Lazarus Photo by Mike HigginsNext >