SWBMAI member band Down From The Hills will head up an evening of bluegrass, cajun and traditional country music this Saturday at the Gone Fish Inn in Mt. Vernon, WI from 7 to 11 p.m.

Down From The Hills plays bluegrass music inspired by the likes of Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs and John Hartford. Their music features both instrumental solos and vocal harmonies. Recently, they’ve added Cajun music to their shows, with band leader Pat Downing on the Cajun button accordion.

The band will be joined by two guest acts: the husband-and-wife team of Bill and Colleen Foley, who sing and play old-time and traditional country music, and the Knickelbine Brothers, who specialize in duets in the style of the Louvin and Bailes brothers.

Here’s how to get there:

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By Jon Peik

February’s first-Tuesday facilitated Beginner Bluegrass Jam will meet Tuesday, 3/2/10 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. There’s 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. Check out www.swbmai.org for all things bluegrass in Wisconsin!

This month we will focus on the key of A. So bring your capo if you’d like. We’ll work from the following list to get us started and probably also go around the circle with song suggestions from you (in any key).

Take Me Back to Tulsa, key of A, (2 chords, A, E)
My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mts, key of A, (2 chords, A, E)
You are My Sunshine, key of A (3 chords, A, D, & E)
Foggy Mountain Top, key of A (3 chords, A, D, & E)
Crawdad Song, key of A (3 chords, A, D, & E)
Long Journey Home, key of A (3 chords, A, D, & E)
Nine lb Hammer, key of A (3 chords, A, D, & E)
Cripple Creek, key of A, instrumental (3 chords, A, D, E)
Amazing Grace -key of A (3 chords, A, D, & E)

The jam exists to encourage beginning bluegrass players and to help each other learn. The goal is to enjoy playing music together.

Chris Thile, formerly of the Grammy Award-winning Nickel Creek, will appear with Punch Brothers at the Wisconsin Union Theater March 4th.  Thile, who has been called  “the most virtuosic American ever to play the mandolin,” will front the Punch Brothers; a super-quintet featuring equally youthful, prodigiously-gifted bandmates who are among the most in-demand performers in the worlds of bluegrass, folk, and traditional music (including Madison native Paul Kowert on bass).

Named after the Mark Twain short story Punch, Brothers, Punch!, the band’s first project, The Blind Leaving the Blind, is a 40-minute, four-movement suite using the dismantling of Thile’s marriage as a jumping-off point for a rumination about the loss of innocence, the sobering transition into adulthood, and the sudden disruption of a young man’s spiritual journey.

Punch Brothers with Chris Thile
Thursday, March 4, 2010, 8pm
Wisconsin Union Theater
Ticket Prices: General: $28
UW-Madison Students: $10

Bluegrass mandolinist and jazz clarinetist Andy Statman will be joined by Wisconsin artists Jerry Wicentowski and Lucky Break for a concert at the UW Hillel Foundation February 23.

Born in Brooklyn, Statman first gained acclaim as a mandolinist in pioneering bluegrass bands Country Cookin’ and Breakfast Special. He then turned to Klezmer music, recording several albums that were influential in the Klezmer revival that began in the late 70s. In the 90s, Statman began playing Chassidic melodies, fusing bluegrass, klezmer, and jazz along the way.

In 2008, Statman appeared as a guest on Bela Fleck and the Flecktones holiday album Jingle All the Way, playing both clarinet and mandolin. The album won a Grammy for  Best Pop Instrumental Album.

Andy Statman with Jerry Wicentowski and Lucky Break

By Dave Nance

Hi everybody ! I’m writing to remind you: The 3rd Tuesday Beginner’s Bluegrass Jam, sponsored by SWBMAI (Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association), and hosted by yours truly, Dave Nance, will be held this Tuesday evening, February 16, 2010, at the Up North Bar at 514 E. Wilson St.

I’ll be there by 7:30 P.M., and we’ll start the jam by 8:00 P.M.

What’s on tap this month: Happy Holidays! No, not those December holidays; I mean Valentine’s Day and President’s Day. I’ve picked out some songs with “love” in the title, plus one good old tune about presidents:

All I Ever Loved Was You – 4/4 time, Key of C – chords: C C7 F G
Ashes Of Love – 4/4 time, Key of G – chords: G C D
Careless Love – 4/4 time, Key of D – chords: D D7 G A
Cheap Love Affair – 3/4 time, Key of A – chords: A A7 D E
How Mountain Girls Can Love – 4/4 time, Key of G – chords: G G7 C D
Love Please Come Home – 4/4 time, key of A – chords: A G D E
White House Blues – 4/4 time, Key of G – chords: G C D

Hey, please note: CHARTS FOR THESE ARE AVAILABLE ON THE WEB! Just go to: http://webpages.charter.net/dnance/songs/ , where I have links to on-line copies of charts I made up for these tunes. Please feel free to print out copies for yourself if you’d like to.

Celebrate the 65th Birthday of musician, actor, humorist and culinary artist Paul Bentzen at this annual jambalaya and jamming extravaganza on Saturday, February 13. Paul’s jambalaya is available through the Spring Green General Store’s restaurant beginning at noon. But like all good things it must end; so when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Jamming starts at 2:00 p.m.; free admission and birthday cake (while it lasts). Food and beverage available for purchase. Spring Green General Store; 137 South Albany,Spring Green, WI; (608) 588-7070; www.SpringGreenGeneralStore.com

SWBMAI Member Band the Henhouse Prowlers were recently honored with a coveted Chicago Music Award for Best Country/Western Entertainer, and now they’re headed for Madison’s High Noon Saloon.

The popular bluegrass quartet is playing at the High Noon Saloon this Friday, February 12, starting at 9:30 p.m. They’ll be joined by the St. Paul group Two Many Banjos.

2010 marked the 29th anniversary of the Chicago Music Awards, which has honored Chicago musicians ranging from George Solti to Kanye West. Stewart Mason of the All Music Guide writes, “The Henhouse Prowlers are a Chicago-based group of youngsters trying mightily to re-create the spirit and form of vintage bluegrass. . .a solid piece of contemporary bluegrass with its heart in the right place.”

The Alchemy Old Time Jam, which takes place on alternate Sundays, will now run from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The time slot is two hours earlier than the previous 5:00 to 7:00 pm schedule.

The jam, which is Madison’s only open old-time session, takes place at The Alchemy Cafe, 1980 Atwood Avenue in Madison.  It was founded two years ago by clawhammer banjo sorceress Lori Nitzel and is currently hosted by the far-less-talented Scott Knickelbine. The jam was featured last year in The Onion’s Decider section.

Old time sessions focus on traditional American fiddle and dance tunes, with most of the instruments playing in unison (with the exception of rhythm guitar).  Singing is rare and is usually used to punctuate the tunes. Typical melodies include Old Joe Clark, Flop-Eared Mule, Angeline the Baker, and Shove The Pigs Foot A Little Further In The Fire.

The next Alchemy Old Time Jam is this coming Sunday, February 14th,  starting at 3:00 pm. If you’d like to be added to the reminder list, email Scott Knickelbine at scottk@lcs-impact.com.

By Jon Peik

February’s first-Tuesday facilitated Beginner Bluegrass Jam will meet Tuesday, 2/2/10 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. There’s 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)

This month we will start with the following songs. If we have time we will also go around the circle with song suggestions from you.

Take Me Back to Tulsa, key of G, (2 chords, G, D); My Home’s Across the Blue Ridge Mts, key of G, (2 chords, G, D); Crawdad Song, key of G (3 chords, G, C, D); Long Journey Home, Key of G, (3 chords G, C, D); Nine lb Hammer, Key of G, (3 chords, G, C, D); Cripple Creek, key of A, instrumental (3 chords, A, D, E); Sitting Alone in the Moonlight -key of G, waltz time (4 chords, G, C, D, & Gb).

Just a reminder of the Jim Hurst Concert and Guitar workshop January, 30. A few slots are still available for the workshop in the afternoon, so take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. And don’t miss the concert in the evening.

Concert: 8 pm at Mother Fools Coffee House, 1101 Williamson St., Madison, Wisconsin.

Workshop: 1 pm – 4 pm at the Wil-Mar Center, 953 Jenifer St., Madison, WI.  Contact Julie Cherney at cherney@uwalumni.com or 608-244-2184 for more information and a registration form.