Being the President of SWBMAI, I am embarrassed to say that I saw Monroe Crossing for the first time this past weekend at the Portage Center for the Performing Arts. Can I use the excuse that I have only lived in the Midwest for a short while? They put on a fantastic show. Not only did they display excellent musicianship, they kept the audience captivated with interaction, stories and jokes.

Monroe Crossing played a nice mix of original tunes, traditional bluegrass and gospel numbers. The show was so entertaining that the two children sitting in the front row were bobbing their heads along with the band until they finished the final set which was way past their bedtimes. Fiddler player Lisa Fuglie wowed the audience with her phenomenal voice, and 25-year old Benji Flaming impressed with his excellent banjo rolls. The guitar, banjo and bass player mesmerized the audience with their instrumental talent and their fancy shoes. The band sang beautiful leads and harmonies throughout the entire show.

Monroe Crossing is from Minneapolis and is a SWBMAI member band. They are next scheduled to play in Wisconsin in Appleton on March 8th.

Dot’s Tavern is well known to the folks down around Belleville, WI. It’s been in operation for more than 60 years. You won’t find it online or google maps… but you’ll find it in the basement of an old house if you turn off HWY 69 onto Henry Rd. in Basco, Montrose, WI.

I found it last night for the first time… but it won’t be the last! Hand Picked Bluegrass and Jefferson County Bluegrass Band where playing and it was quite the time. I took a few pictures with my phone. I apologize for the quality, but you’ll get the idea from them.

This weekend, some friends and I headed south for Trad Fest at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. Trad Fest is an annual event with old time string band music from all over the country. We were too late for the potluck on Friday night so we decided to stuff our faces with world-renowned Chicago pizza! We did arrive just in time to square dance off a little bit of our food-induced lethargy to the Portland-based Foghorn String Band. Once the dancing was over, old time jams began all over the school, and I had the wonderful opportunity to play fiddle tunes with “Chirps” Smith, one of the Midwest’s finest fiddlers.

The next day, I took a Ballads singing workshop with Rhiannon Giddens from the Carolina Chocolate Drops. This was the most powerful workshop I have ever taken. Although Rhiannon is a classically trained musician (she has performed in several operas), her greatest strength as a singer is not necessarily her singing technique (which is excellent), but instead the rhythm and emotion that she brings into her songs. This was apparent in her body and in her voice. She brought in the syncopated rhythm of the chain gang while she sang; she poured her heart out as she sang about a woman whose man had gone missing or about the death of Poor Lazarus. The insight that she shared with us about how to sing was as powerful as sitting next to her as she sang, which sent chills up my spine.

Saturday evening there was a concert with Garry Harrison and the New Mules, the Chocolate Drops, and Foghorn String Band. Each band performed a different flavor of old time music, and it was great to have the variety of great fiddle tunes and great singing numbers.

by Joe Davis

The other evening my wife, Connie, and I went along with our new banjo playing friend, Jim Carrier, to the Café Carpe in Fort Atkinson to hear Jerry Wicentowski and the New Pioneers. Before I go into the particulars of the music I encourage all bluegrass fans to catch this group. Individually, the members are some of the top musicians in the state and collectively, they are what everyone ought to expect when going to hear a bluegrass band.

Quality musicianship, fast fiddle tunes and driving banjo are synonymous with bluegrass, but the real key to the music (understood by the experts) is the singing; bluegrass is grounded in solid singing, both solo and group and this band has surely got it covered. I really don’t think I have to talk at length about Jerry Wicentowski’s stellar reputation – he is, without doubt, one the top practitioners of this art form anywhere in the country. And, it is an art form. The trio singing, with Bruce King (mandolin) and Mike Schmidt (banjo) joining Jerry is excellent – “Sitting Alone in the Moonlight” and “On & On” are just two examples of how good it gets with this band. And, the occasional duets were just as professional (and I offer this as my highest compliment).

I would be selling this band short if I didn’t mention the instrumental proficiency – and this ranges far beyond the excellent solo work done by Bruce and Mike and the stellar fiddling of Paul Kienitz, fiddler extraordinaire – beyond the leads though this band does the hard and very necessary work of solid back-up and exceptional interplay among the musicians. Mike Schmidt’s back-up banjo is hard driving and it, along with Jon Peik’s rock solid bass playing, keeps this band on track. I also want to make special mention of an often overlooked part of bluegrass; a part which Jerry has down and that is rhythm guitar. I know it’s fashionable to think of bluegrass guitar in the mold of Bryan Sutton and Tony Rice, but there is nothing more essential to the pure bluegrass sound than a guitarist, like Jerry, who knows how to ground a band and keep it centered.

I know that if you are reading this review you already love bluegrass – well, get yourself and your friends to the Café Carp on the second Thursday of each month – you will be more than pleased. And, a special message to the members of various bands around the area – come out and pay your dues; listen to some masters do it in person like it ought to be done and take some lessons, some soul, some expertise away with you.

This past weekend was the 10th annual LarryFest in LaFarge, WI. It was a real hoot. The festival sold out the Wednesday before it started, and it’s easy to understand why. Nestled on a beautiful maple farm in the Kickapoo Valley, LarryFest had several great bluegrass, old-time and folk performers on stage. Only 1,000 tickets are sold, making it a wonderful atmosphere to see lots of great music in a beautiful setting without the hassle of a larger festival.

Friday was a great day with cool temperatures and fabulous performances from bands such as New Bad Habits (old-time), Druha Trava (Czech bluegrass band) and the Wilders (old-time country). Friday evening was headlined by Mountain Heart and the crowd really loved their upbeat music. There was a nice bonfire rolling all night and plenty of good pickin’ to be had.

At 8 a.m. on Saturday morning it began to rain and never stopped, but plenty of festival-goers were not deterred. People took shelter underneath the large tents or faced the rain to see great performances by folks such as Jack Lawrence (who often plays with Doc Watson) and String Ties (a regional bluegrass band). There was even a square dance taking place in the mud during the New Bad Habits afternoon show!

Following sunset, the rain fell with increasing intensity, so the show was moved into the large garage behind the main stage. Special Consensus played a fantastic set that had all the mud-covered folks dancing. Thunder was crashing and lightning was striking, so the band had to take a quick break to avoid electricution (in fact, the bass player felt a shock or two and played the rest of the set unplugged). But they kept on playing and the good times kept rolling. The Wilders closed out the night with a high energy set that kept everyone moving and kept them from remembering that the skies had opened upon us, washed out the only road in and out of the fest, and left folks’ cars so stuck in the mud that they had to be towed out by a tractor. All in all, it was a great festival and we will be looking forward to LarryFest 2008.

More than 2,000 people came out on August 12, 2007 to hear music and ride the Wisconsin & Southern’s beautifully refurbished passenger train at the Gandy Dancer Festival in Madison’s Central Park. A nice variety of music and train-related programs, locally prepared food and beverages and seating in the shade of tents helped to create a mellow, family-friendly atmosphere.

For the first few hours of the festival the crowd included a large contingent of parents and grandparents bringing kids to ride the train. Many of them enjoyed music on the main stage while waiting for the train. Jefferson County kicked off the festival at 11:00 a.m. with Round the Bend following at 2:45 p.m. As often happens at outdoor festivals, the kids enjoyed dancing in the open space between the seating area and the stage.

Meanwhile, in the Train Show Tent, Ellis Bauman enjoyed a steady stream of traffic at the SWBMAI table. Informational brochures were available along with a sign-up sheet for people who are interested in learning more about the organization. Tee shirts with the new SWBMAI logo were selling well.

Members of Jefferson County led an enthusiastic Bluegrass jam at 2:45-4:45 p.m. Don Meyer, General Manager of Mid-Continent Railway Museum, co-sponsor of the festival, enjoyed seeing people moving about the festival grounds carrying their instrument cases. Leo Edelstein, emcee in the Train Show Tent, described the jam as “well-attended and lively.”

The festival ended with sets by the Nob Hill Boys and headliners, the Alan Munde Gazette. By this time, Bluegrass fans predominated in the audience, and they responded warmly to both bands.

The festival steering committee would welcome feedback from SWBMAI members while preparing to consider whether there might be a Second Annual Gandy Dancer Festival. Direct your comments to Carolyn Hegeler or Johanna Fabke.

There’s also a nice write-up of the Gandy Dancer fest in the Wisconsin State Journal.

On Monday, August 6, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands thrilled close to 100 listeners at the High Noon Saloon in Madison –a fine showing on a Monday night after a weekend filled with fine music in the Madison area.

In her typical style, Lewis melded old-time, traditional country and bluegrass music with newer instrumental expressions and songs. Most of the tunes were recorded on her newest album, The Golden West, with one of the finest bands in her career, The Right Hands. Lewis plays fiddle and guitar; her musical partner of 20 years, Tom Rozum, mandolin; Craig Smith, banjo; Todd Phillips, bass; and Scott Huffman, guitar.

A broken fiddle string at the start of show didn’t slow things down much. The rest of the band jumped in with an upbeat traditional “Clinch Mountain Back Step”, and Laurie returned to the stage before the tune ended to play a fine fiddle break, along with a great duet with Craig on banjo. In the second set they performed the originally intended opening instrumental, Bill Monroe’s, “The Golden West.” This included a rousing final break with the banjo head and fiddle aligned almost vertically together just behind the mic.

Beyond Lewis’ amazing talent and energy as a singer and fiddler, her own compositions captivated the audience. Her “Your Eyes” (recently #6 on the Bluegrass Unlimited monthly survey) combines the sweetness of irresistible love, with hard drivin music, and a kind of naughty, sassy streak that both rocks and endears. And, as an example of the contrasting themes she represents, the slower, more ballad-style waltz, “A Hand to Hold,” can bring tears to your eyes. It’s a reflective looking back on life by a couple who’ve “shared a rocky road,” but “have something gold”: “a hand to hold.”

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Although this is the fourth year for the Sugar Maple Festival, this was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to attend. This will definitely be put on my “must do” list for next summer! This festival is a well organized family event, thanks to promoter Jef (AKA Pertz) Pertzborn along with many volunteers. I arrived at 4 p.m just as the Magnolia Sisters started their Cajun style music which brought a good number of dancers to the dance floor. The crowd continued to dance throughout the night to an assortment of music like gypsy jazz, western swing and old time. Many families and friends arrived with blankets and coolers and sprawled out on the lawn to enjoy a perfect evening of music. The last band of the night was the Mark Newton Band featuring Clay Hess; they put on a great bluegrass show.

I helped staff the SWBMAI table and enjoyed meeting new and old bluegrass friends. We were kept busy selling our new t-shirts and handing out literature about our association and upcoming bluegrass events in the area. We received many compliments on the shirts and our new logo.

During the night I had an opportunity to walk the grounds and listen to the jamming area, enjoy the fun in the kid’s area, had some great food from the vendors and took in some workshops. Our very own SWBMAI President did a fine job interviewing Beth Lawrence, the bass player for the Mark Newton Band.

Pertz, thanks for a great festival!

Want to share your photos from the fest? Email ‘em to us!

I’d been thinking about making a pilgrimage to Bill Monroe’s Bean Blossom Festival this summer. But then at the SWBMAI Jamboree in April, I won a couple of passes to the FlatRock Bluegrass Jamboree in a raffle. Held June 14 through 16 at the FuddFest Country Music Festival grounds in northern Wisconsin near Antigo, FlatRock turned out to be a nice alternative and a whole lot closer to home!

With the stage set up inside a rustic pole barn & half a foot of fresh sawdust on the ground, there was plenty of room for dancing or just sitting back & listening to the fantastic music. Camping (with shower facilities) is also available on site, but there are plenty of reasonably-priced motels nearby for the less adventurous. The FlatRock organizers put together a nice family-oriented bluegrass event!

FlatRock 2007 boasted a line-up of nine outstanding bluegrass bands, ranging from the Slopgrass (complete with washtub bass & juice harp) of “Sloppy Joe” to the more traditional (right down to their suits & ties & Stetsons) sound of High 48s to the ‘dewgrass’ style of Anthony with Burnt Toast & Jam. With bands rotating through hourly sets, if you missed one group in the afternoon you could catch ‘em again later that evening.

And “the fields were alive with the sound of bluegrass music” (my apologies to Julie Andrews fans)! A superb group of youngsters from West Virginia, the Hillbilly Gypsies told me how impressed they were with the caliber of Midwest bluegrass bands. Not surprising, with performances by SWBMAI member bands, Spare Time Bluegrass Band & Jefferson County! For me the real surprise was Carmel Sheerin & The Ravens all the way from Ireland. Yes, bluegrass has even taken root on the Emerald Isle! I indeed found a ‘pot of gold’ (musical variety) at FlatRock!

Chris Thile, still looking young enough to evoke memories of the teenaged mandolin wizard came to town the other evening – a hot young nearly bluegrass band in a too hot venue. As he tries to wind down Nickel Creek (with what appears to be a, for now, farewell tour) Thile has been touring with some other young phenoms to play bluegrass and fiddle-based music; sort of.

I was impressed by the number of young people, many musicians and would-be musicians, obviously drawn by the Thile mystique: and this is good. The band itself is beyond skilled with Noam Pikelny (the closest of the Bela Fleckites to play like their guru) on banjo; Gabe Witcher on fiddle; Greg Garrison on bass; and, Bryan Sutton (truly incomparable) on guitar (filling in for the regular guitarist). The set was largely drawn from Thile CD’s and relied heavily on his compositions – this is both good and not so good. The skill level was what you’d expect from this group of young super players (even though the sound system was terribly out of whack).

Thile is no doubt gifted – his playing is often draw dropping and his singing (while still leaning toward the ethereal Nickel Creek-like fantasy –based ballads) is getting stronger; his version of Brakeman’s Blues was surely within the tradition. But . . . always the but . . . just because you can dazzle, doesn’t means you ought to all the time. I found (and a fair number of musician friends agreed) that there is just a tad bit too much . . . something . . . self-absorption, ego, showing off for its own sake in Thile’s composing and playing. I don’t mind it; some of it, but I would have loved hearing 30 minutes of fiddle tunes, or some other facet of the genre done with some restraint. For me, the highlight of the show was Thile and Sutton doing a more traditional Delmore brothers piece with a nice fiddle tune in the middle.

I am glad lots of folks came out for live music and live bluegrass-oriented music at that – I was very disappointed in the venue . . . the air conditioning was hardly functioning and it was brutal for everyone – the band mentioned it at least 5 times. Not a good thing for other bands to hear about. I am also glad so many young folks showed up and I like that they play – I just wish Chris Thile begins to learn that just because you can play it, doesn’t mean to have to play it . . . that fast, that complex, that showy all of the time.