SWBMAI member band the Nob Hill Boys will give a free concert tomorrow night, July 22, at Harriet Park in Verona, WI, starting at 6:00 pm.

The Nob Hill Boys are an established bluegrass unit whose commitment to tradition is clear in every aspect of their per- formances. This award-winning band has produced three CDs and entertained audiences all across the Midwest for the past six years in venues of all sizes from coffeehouses to festivals to a performance on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion. The group’s four fine singers take a traditional approach with a nod to the standard repertoire of the past, but also bringing obscure gems and fine original material to light. The Nob Hill Boys also are fortunate to feature some of the finest instru- mentalists in the Upper Midwest. Those of you looking for a hot banjo number, a driving fiddle breakdown or superb flat picking guitar will not be disappointed .

Harriet Park is located along Mary Lou Street, Arthur Street, Westlawn Avenue and Harriet Street on the Verona’s  north side.

By Dave Nance

Hey all, this is a reminder about this week’s (3rd) Tuesday Beginner’s Bluegrass Jam, to be held this coming Tuesday, July 20, at 7:30 PM   I’ve pulled together some song ideas, and I have the charts in .pdf  format this month.  Also, here are some links to nice youtube versions of these songs -just click thru to see (& hear!) ‘em.

Blue Moon Of Kentucky – 3/4 time, Key of A – chords:  A  A7  D  E   [version, in C, by: Bill Monroe]

Down The Road – 4/4 time, Key of G — chords:  G   Em    D  (my chart’s in “A” – but let’s do it in “G“)       [version, in G, by: Dwight Yoakam]

If I Lose – 4/4 time, Key of A – chords:  A   D   E       [youtube version, in B, by: Ralph Stanley]

Jimmie Brown The Newsboy – 4/4 time, Key of G – chords:  G   D     (my chart’s in “A” – but let’s do it in “G“)   [version, in G, by: Flatt & Scruggs]

My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains – 4/4 time, Key of G – chords:  G    D     [version, in F, by: The Carter Family]

Trouble In Mind – 4/4 time, Key of G – chords:  G   G7  C   D        [version, in E, by: Johnny Cash]

I’d be glad to hear any suggestions or requests you may have for any additional songs you’d like to try out or work on.  You can send them to me by return e-mail, or by going to my contact page page.  Or just bring your ideas on Tuesday!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

Archie Loman’s annual bluegrass bash, ArchieFest, is back this year, even bigger than ever. The free one-day festival will feature 11 bands performing from noon until 11 pm this coming Saturday, July 10.

The festival is held at the Mondeaux Dam Lodge in the scenic Chequamegon National Forest. This year’s band lineup includes Archie, Jim & friends, Big Daddy and the Feather Pickers, The Lang Bothers, Staff Infection, Mountain Sky & Friends, Prairie Smoke, Northern Comfort, the Mad City Jug Band, and Dick, Goldie & Mark.

Admission is free (no carry ins allowed) Food and beverages will be available on site. Bring your lawn chairs.

Mondeaux Dam Lodge is located in North Central Wisconsin in the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest just 20 miles north west of Medford. The lodge offers a full lunch and dinner menu, boat, canoe, paddleboat & pontoon rentals, a shower area for campers and a small camp store.

The Lonesome River Band will headline the 4^th Annual Gandy Dancer Festival on Saturday, August 21 in Mazomanie.  Sammy Shelor, a four-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, leads the band along with Andy Ball (mandolin), Brandon Rickman (rhythm guitar), Mike Anglin (bass), and Mike Hartgrove (fiddle).  They will appear at an informal “meet the headliner” session at 3:00 p.m. and there will be a Bluegrass jam led by Above the Town at 3:30.  The complete main stage music schedule is listed below.

Family-friendly activities highlight the Gandy Dancer Festival, which is presented by the Mid-Continent Railway Museum and the Village of Mazomanie.  New this year is a “History Detectives” activity organized by Bobbie Malone of the Wisconsin Historical Society.  Children will have the opportunity to learn about riding and working on trains by interacting with a panel of old-timers who actually did it.  There will be music especially for kids by Dave Landau at noon and 2:30, a real-life gandy dancer demonstration by Dave Lee and incidental juggling by Jacob Mills.  Horse-drawn wagon rides, the mini-train for kids and historical displays at the public library (former Milwaukee Road depot), the Mazomanie Historical Museum and the Mazomanie Regional Heritage Center will round out the day.  Food and beverages will be readily available from local civic groups and businesses,

This event is supported by the Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission with additional funds from the American Girl’s Fund for Children, The Evjue Foundation, Inc., charitable arm of The Capital Times, and the Overture Foundation.

Gandy Dancer Festival

Westland Promenade (Brodhead Street at the railroad tracks), Mazomanie, Wisconsin

Saturday, August 21, 2010 – 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m., rain or shine

Admission is free – contributions to Mid-Continent Railway Museum are warmly appreciated.

11:00 a.m.        Queens of Harmony, African-American Gospel

12:30 p.m.        Above the Town, Bluegrass

2:00 p.m.          The DitchLilies, American roots music

3:30 p.m.          Cork’n Bottle String Band, Bluegrass

5:00 p.m.          Harmonious Wail, Gypsy swing and jazz

6:30 p.m.          Lonesome River Band, Bluegrass

Further information is available at http://midcontinent.org.

As our primary fundraising activity this year, SWBMAI is conducting a Wisconsin Class A raffle for valuable prizes generously donated by area businesses and private individuals. Raffle tickets are available in different colors for a chance to win specific prizes:

Blue Tickets – Fiddle ($525 value, with bow and case) donated by Lane Venden (www.laneslutherie.com) plus two violin lessons with Wisconsin State Fiddle Champion, Shauncey Ali.

Yellow Tickets – Paul Woolson Guitar (www.WoolsonSoundCraft.com) – $3000 value, solid Koa body, spruce top with case – plus four guitar lessons by Bob Westphal.

Green Tickets – Your choice of: Hand-sewn quilts donated by Sharon Manion & Mary Jo Brechtl; Digital video recorder ($150 value) donated by Bruce Brechtl; Hand-braided leather mandolin strap ($100 value) donated by Debra Amesqua; or Two mandolin lessons with Simms Delaney-Pottoff. First green ticket drawn wins choice of prizes, second green ticket gets choice of remaining prizes, etc.

Raffle tickets – $5 each or five for $20 (in any combination of ticket colors) – may be purchased from members of the SWBMAI Board of Directors and key volunteers at area jams and festivals. Tickets are also available at Lane’s Lutherie (4269 W. Beltline Hwy) in Madison. The drawing will be held at 8:00 P.M. on December 6, 2010, at the Dry Bean Saloon (5264 Verona Road) in Madison during the Monday Night Jam and Open Mic. Thanks for your support and good luck in the SWBMAI Raffle!

You need not be present to win. Raffle winnings are taxable income and subject to reporting as required by law. Purchase of raffle tickets is not tax-deductible.

By Jon Peik

Here’s the info for this month’s first-Tuesday facilitated Beginner Bluegrass Jam.

Tuesday, 7/6/10 from 7:30-9:00pm at the Germania parlor area (youth friendly) of The Up North Bar, 514 E Wilson St. Madison, near the Essen Haus at the corner of Blair and Wilson streets. Plenty of free parking behind the Essen Haus.

Formal instruction and facilitation will run from approximately 7:30-8:30pm (as soon as I get there after my lessons at Spruce Tree Music)

The Jam is sponsored by the Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association. A $5 donation is requested, but not required.

This month we will start with the following songs and then go around the circle with song suggestions from you. So bring a song to sing or suggest.

She’ll Be Comin Round the Mountain, Key of G (3 chords, G, C, & D)

You Are My Sunshine, Key of G (3 chords, G, C, & D)

Tonight’s Instructor-Lead Jam is a “5th Tuesday” jam, meaning there will be a special instructor. Heading up the jam tonight will be Ellis Bauman, a veteran jammer and jam instructor.

The jam is sponsored by SWBMAI, and will take place as always at the Germania Parlor of the Up North Bar, 524 East Wilson Street in Madison. Plenty of free parking is available in the Essen Haus parking lot. The jam starts at 7:00 p.m.; a $5 donation is suggested.

It’s time once again for Beth Graham’s annual birthday bash at the Dry Bean, Monday, June 28th, starting at 6:30 pm.

Beth is the doyenne of the Madison bluegrass scene and a beloved regular at the Dry Bean Jam. Take the opportunity to stop on down and share the fun! And, of course, bring your instrument for the early or late  jam or sign up for the open mic.

The Dry Bean is located at 5264 Verona Road in Fitchburg.

SWBMAI Member Band Northern Comfort makes its debut at the Memorial Union Terrace in Madison on Thursday, June 24, starting at 5:30 p.m.  Admission is free.

Patti Graham (dobro), Tony Hozeny (mandolin), and Mark Peterson (guitar) have spent many years playing and singing bluegrass and traditional country music. Their sound comes straight from the heart and features high lonesome vocals and harmonies, a driving beat, and tight instrumental passages. For more on Northern Comfort’s schedule see their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/northerncomfrt

SWBMAI Member Band Sparetime Bluegrass provided fans at the recent Brooklyn Bluegrass Festival with a breakneck performance of  the “Roxbury Breakdown.” Peripatetic videographer Denny Egstadt caught it on video:

You can get a head’s up on the band’s upcoming performances at their web site: http://www.sparetimebluegrass.com/