Volume 38, No. 4 © Central Texas Bluegrass Association April, 2016 Lone Star Fest, Arlington: April 22-23

early every year since about 2010 (if memory serves), the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation N has sponsored a late winter-early spring indoor bluegrass festival, usually at South Oaks Baptist Church in Arlington. I think I missed that 2010 edition, which was headlined by Blue Highway, IIIrd Tyme Out, and Alecia Nugent, but I’ve attended most of the ones since then.

This year’s festival, arriving a little later in the year, will be headlined by Flatt Lonesome and the Kenny and Amanda Smith Band. Although not listed in the display ad, Blake Williams will be there, too, as a workshop presenter telling stories of life on the road with , Bill

Kenny and Amanda Smith (seen here at Farmers Branch in 2012) will be one of the headliners at the indoor festival in Arlington later this month. Photo by K. Brown.

Chris Jones and the Night Drivers in Arlington March 2, 2013. Back then, this festival wasn’t yet named the “Lone Star Bluegrass Festival,” but it was at the same venue where it’ll be this month. And Ned Lu- berecki was the picker. Photo by K. Brown.

April birthdays: Darin Aldridge, Junior Barber, Delia Bell, Wayne Benson, Gena Britt, Hylo Brown, , Stuart Duncan, Pat Enright, Lamar Grier, Jody Rainwater, , Kate McKenzie, , , Larry Rice, Mark Schatz, George Shuffler, Roland White, Bill Yates.

CTBA Board Meeting: Sunday, April 17, 3 PM at the Rusty Mule, 9201 Highway 290 W, Aus- tin, Texas 78736 (board meetings are open to all CTBA members). And yes, this is a new location.

The Central Texas Bluegrass Bulletin is published by the Central Texas Bluegrass Association, a 501(c)(3) tax- exempt Texas nonprofit corporation. Contributions are deductible as charitable and educational donations. Work published in this Bulletin is used by permission of the writers, artists, and photographers, who retain all copy- rights. Jamie Stubblefield, president Jason Pratt, vice president Central Texas Bluegrass Association Box 9816 Sam Dunn, board member Austin, Texas 78766 Mike Hurlbut, membership chair Nan Hurlbut, board member www.centraltexasbluegrass.org/ Alice Moore, secretary Lenny Nichols, treasurer Jeff White, webmaster Tim Towell, board member Ken Brown, hapless newsletter editor Bob Vestal, board member

2 Monroe, and assorted Opry stars. If you’ve seen Blake before, perhaps with the Williams and Clark Expedition, you know you’re in for some choice entertainment. He played banjo for Lester Flatt and the Nashville Grass until Lester’s death in 1979 (including two albums), next spent ten years with Monroe (recording six albums), then co-founded the Expedition with man- dolinist Bobby Clark. One of those Monroe albums, Southern Flavor, won a Grammy in 1988. The festival starts at 6:30 PM on Friday and wraps up at 9:15 PM Saturday evening. The jam- ming will be curtailed a bit early on Saturday to allow preparation for Sunday services, but a late night jam room will be available at the host hotel (the La Quinta a few miles west in Fort Worth).

Flatt Lonesome, the young trio of Florida siblings Buddy Robertson (guitar), Charli Rob- ertson () and Kelsi Robertson Harrigill (), along with Paul Harrigill (banjo), Dominic Illingworth (bass), and Michael Stockton (dobro) has only been in existence since 2011 but won the SPBGMA championship in 2012, were selected as IBMA Emerging Artists in 2014, were nominated last year for Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year, made their debut on the Grand Ol’ Opry last August, and have released three albums. One of their songs was selected as a winner in the 2014 Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest. Besides the Opry, they’ve performed at the IBMA FanFest, the Station Inn, and several of the major bluegrass festivals scattered across the country (Joe Val, Grass Valley, Summergrass). And you

Flatt Lonesome at the Burnet Bluegrass Festival, July 19, 2014; L to R: Paul, Kelsi, Dominic, Buddy, Charli, Michael. Photo by K. Brown.

3 may have seen them on Music City Roots, or, in the last couple of years, at the Burnet Blue- grass Festival right here in Central Texas.

The Kenny and Amanda Smith Band probably needs no introduction, because they’ve been a staple at the fall festival in Farmers Branch for several years (the picture on page 1 is from four years back). The band won IBMA Emerging Artist of the Y ear in 2003; after spending six years with the Lonesome River Band, flatpicking wizard Kenny Smith was IBMA Guitar Player of the Year in 1999-2000, and Amanda was Female Vocalist of the Y ear in 2014. The band has appeared at the Ryman Auditorium, the Grand Ol’ Opry, Wintergrass, Gettysburg and several other major bluegrass festivals, as well as appearing on Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Com- panion show. They’ve released at least half a dozen albums as a band, along with a couple of solo guitar albums by Kenny. I’m not sure who’s accompanying them now, but I think when I saw them last, they had Cory Piatt on mandolin and Austin Ward on bass.

In addition to the above, there are six other bands, all from Texas. Bobby Giles and Music Mountain, first-place winner in last year’s Front Porch Showdown, is from the Panhandle and Rolling Plains of Texas. CTBA members may remember Bobby from frequent Sunday jams at ArtZ Rib House in Austin. The band includes Bobby (guitar), Steve Loggie (banjo), Tim McGaughy (mandolin), Becky McGaughy (bass), and Dave Kuncicky (fiddle).

Most of our readers are probably familiar with Robertson County Line, a CTBA member band headed by Bastrop luthier Jeff Robertson (guitar), usually appearing with David Hallmark (mandolin), Jacob Roberts (bass), and Jonathan Thrift (banjo). Need a guitar or a CD? Jeff will fix you up.

Also appearing on the bill are the Herrins, the Coleman Brothers and Lone Star Boys, Pearl and the Polka Dots, and Pine Island Station, another CTBA member band. The whole thing kicks off with Pine Island Station on Friday evening and wraps up with Kenny and Aman- da on Saturday evening. In addition, on Saturday there’ll be an hour (2:15-3:15 PM) of tall tales by Blake Williams (don’t miss that!), plus banjo, dobro, guitar and mandolin workshops from 3:345– 6 PM. The festival is at South Oaks Baptist Church, 5925 Highway 287 in Arlington. To get there, take I-35W to Fort Worth, exit eastbound on I-20, go about six and a half miles, then exit southbound on US 287, go another mile and a half, take the Sublett Road exit, cross under US 287 and double back northward on the US 287 frontage road a short distance. The church is on the east side of the highway, and there’s plenty of parking on three sides. Unless Google has misled me, the GPS coordinates are lat 32.6448879, long –97.186196.

Jamming is in the Activities Building next to the church. Food and other vendors are located here, there’s a central gym large enough for more than one jam, and there are several separate rooms off a side hallway that can also be used for jamming. Jamming is not allowed in the lob- by area of the church, but there’ll be an instrument check room here in case you want to park your instruments while watching the show. Jamming will shut down shortly after the shows end on Saturday night, but the host hotel (La Quinta Inn Forest Hill, to the west in Fort Worth) has a late-night jam room available. Discounted festival rates are available at La Quinta, but you have to call by April 4 and ask for the Lone Star Fest rate.

Food available onsite is the usual fare — hot dogs, hamburgers, chili, chips, and so forth. A Denny’s and some fast food restaurants are located at the Sublett Road intersection to the south,

4 but the frontage road is one-way, so you must either walk or else drive all the way up to I-20 and double back. And the Denny’s is often crowded on a Saturday evening.

Admission is both reserved and general admission. Advance ticket sales are for both days. Fri- day tickets at the door are $15, Saturday $22 for general admission and $25 for reserved seat- ing.

Schedule

Friday, April 22

6:30-7:15 PM Pine Island Station 7:30-8:15 PM Bobby Giles and Music Mountain 8:30-9:30 PM Robertson County Line

Saturday, April 23

12:30-1:15 PM Pearl and the Polka Dots 1:30-2:15 PM Robertson County Line 2:30-3:15 PM Pine Island Station 3:30-4:15 PM Coleman Brothers and Lone Star Boys 4:30-5:15 PM Bobby Giles and Music Mountain 5:30-6:15 PM The Herrins 6:30-7:45 PM Flatt Lonesome 8:00-9:15 PM Kenny and Amanda Smith

Saturday workshops

2:15-3:15 PM Blake Williams, Bluegrass Storytelling 3:45-4:45 PM Banjo and dobro 5:00-6:00 PM Guitar and mandolin

5 6

The ambrosial and insouciant Ra- chel Bates of Pearl and the Polka Dots entertains the audience of porcinovores during the pig roast held at the Frintz Farm, north of McDade on March 5. I didn’t hear the Polka Dots play any polkas, but they were the highlight of the festi- val. They’ll be at the Lone Star Fest, too. Photo by K. Brown.

Curbfeeler’s Bluegrass Supplies Bass capos, cowbells, banjo mutes (e.g., nine-pound hammers), earplugs, lini- ment, bait, snuff, muleshoes, ostrich jerky. Instructional videos for zither, spoons, cowbell, and lawnchair.

Otis Curbfeeler, Prop. Catwater, Texas

7

The Triple L band will be appearing at the San Angelo festival, April 9, along with four other bands. See the display ad later in this issue. Photo by K. Brown, 2015.

Curbfeeler’s Backwoods Café Experimental cuisine next to the Emergency Clinic in Catwater, Texas Otis Curbfeeler, Prop.

Instruction for Banjo, Guitar, and mandolin Private Lessons in North and South Austin

Eddie Collins www.eddiecollins.biz 512-873-7803 8 Bluegrass News

he Fire on the Strings festival sponsored by the Bay Area Bluegrass Association will be T resurrected this year, but scaled down from the event formerly held at the South Shore Harbor hotel in past years. This year’s festival will be a one-day event held at the Johnnie Arol- fo Civic Center in League City. That’s the same location where the monthly meeting is held. In past years, it’s always been in August, but this year it will be on the third Saturday in Novem- ber. When the BABA folks announce the details, we’ll print ‘em here. Meanwhile, the Texas state guitar, banjo and mandolin championships will be held at the monthly BABA meeting, the third Saturday in July.

Closer to home, Max Zimmet will play a gig at the Hole in the Wall on April 10 (6-7 PM) with Eddie Collins, Mike Montgomery, and Vance Hazen.

On Saturday, April 9, Pine Island Station will present a two-hour concert (7-9 PM) at the Kay Theater, 350 N. Main in downtown Rockdale; tickets are $15 and doors open at 6:30 PM.

Megajam at Hudson’s in Dripping Springs, February 27. OK, now remember, the tuba, clarinet, jawbone and glockenspiel don’t come in until the fourth measure! Photo by K. Brown.

For sale by owner: 1965 Gibson Mastertone RB-250, flathead bowtie banjo, very good condi- tion, asking $2800. For details contact George Wood, (512) 689-6068 or [email protected]

9 This show is sponsored by the Kay Theater Foundation in Rockdale, and we hope it will lead to a regular series of bluegrass nights at this location. Come to the show if you can, and help pro- pel things in that direction.

Initial planning is underway for RayFest on May 22. The CTBA board envisions hiring about four bands and a sound engineer. We’ll have details in the May issue of this newsletter.

The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation’s annual “Front Porch Showdown” band contest at Dallas Heritage Village will take place Saturday, June 4 (4-6:30 PM), with a $500 prize for first place. Special Consensus will headline “Bluegrass on Ballard,” a free event in downtown Wylie on Saturday, July 2, along with Texas and , Phil Ferguson and Texas True, and several other bands. See the Bluegrass heritage Foundation web site for details on both these events. And check the new event calendar on the web site while you’re there.

Pyrolysis in the Pasture: the audience gets fired up at the McDade pig roast, March 5. Photo by K. Brown.

10 Monroe Mandolin Camp Adds Banjo Track

or several years now, Monroe-style mandolin picker Mike Compton and his cohorts have F hosted the Monroe Mandolin Camp, a short but intensive course designed specifically to teach the tunes and picking style of Bill Monroe. This year’s camp (September 14-18) will ex- pand beyond the mandolin itself and add a traditional bluegrass banjo track and, according to the announcement, “will not only cover some of Bill’s instrumental tunes for the banjo over the years, but also how the banjo contributed as a backup instrument in the classic bluegrass en- semble of guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass and banjo.” This year, there is also an Old-Time man- dolin Track, taught by Adam Tanner, that will focus on the generation that influenced Bill Monroe.

The banjo instructor will be Alan O’Bryant of the Nashville Bluegrass Band, who will be teach- ing intermediate and advanced students only (enrollment capped at 15 students). I’m tempted to add that I visualize morning aerobics classes with the students lifting their up to the mike in classic Alan O’Bryant fashion, but I guess that’s just the irreverent banjo-baiter in me.

Tuition is $500, but previous (2015) students of Monroe Mandolin Camp get a $25 discount on tuition. Fulltime academic students (I assume this means either high school or college) get a $100 discount. There are also youth scholarships:

“Five partial scholarships are available for young players up to 18 years old. If inter- ested, please send us an E-mail, and a link to a YouTube video of you playing, and we’ll be in touch. E-mail to [email protected], and in the subject line write ‘Youth Scholarship: [Your Name]’ “

The camp is held at the Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville. I’ve been there twice myself (photo, bottom right) for Resosummit, and it’s a convenient venue for an instrument camp, with onsite dorms and a cafeteria.

11 12 13 14 15 16 CTBA Artists and Bands Cole Anderson David Diers & #910 The Pickin’ Ranch Wires and Wood (Fayetteville, Arkansas) Train (512) 814-5145 Ramblers David Dyer (210) 680-1889 [email protected] [email protected] Richie Mintz wiresandwood.net [email protected] [email protected] Better Late Than Four Fights Per Pint Woodstreet Blood- Never Jay Littleton (512) 848-1634 Pine Island Station Duane Calvin (512) 835-0342 hounds [email protected] Gary & Janine Carter [email protected] (Oak Park, Illinois) (936) 520-2952 Robert Becker (708) 714-7206 [email protected] High Plains Jamboree robertbecker1755 Blazing Bows www.pineislandstation.com @sbcglobal.net Cara Cooke (512) 280-9104 Brennen Leigh [email protected] [email protected] The Piney Grove highplainsjamboree.com Max Zimmet Blue Creek Bluegrass Ramblers [email protected] Wayne Brooks (512) 699-8282 (512)924-0505 Gospel Band Hill Country Harmo- 877-899-8269 Bing Rice (830) 253-7708 nizers www.pgramblers.com bluecreekbg.com Elise Bright (817) 501-1172 [email protected] [email protected] The Prime Time Ramblers Bottom Dollar String Kid on a Pony Jacob Roberts Band Don Douglas (512) 608-3859 [email protected] John Ohlinger (512) 431-5150 [email protected] bottomdollarstringband James Reams & the @gmail.com Barnstormers Lone Star Swing (718) 374-1086 David & Barbara Gary Hartman (979) 378-2753 [email protected] [email protected] Brown www.jamesreams.com (361) 985-9902 [email protected] Los Bluegrass Vatos Redfire String Band Danny Santos Molly Johnson Carper Family Band [email protected] molly@integratedmotion- Jenn Miori studio.com [email protected] The Lost Pines Talia Bryce (512) 814-5134 Robertson County Chasing Blue [email protected] Line (512) 963-7515 www.lostpinesband.com Jeff Robertson (512) 629-5742 [email protected] [email protected] www.chasingblueband.com Missing Tradition

Diana & Dan Ost Shawn Spiars Christy & the Plowboys (512) 850-4362 (512) 627-3921 Dan Foster (512) 452-6071 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] The Sieker Band Fletcher Clark Rod Moag & Texas Rolf & Beate Sieker (512) 376-0340 Grass (512) 733-2857 [email protected] (512) 467-6825 www.siekerband.com FletcherClark3.com [email protected] [email protected]

Eddie Collins The Stray Bullets Alan Munde Bob Cartwright (512) 415-8080 (512) 873-7803 [email protected] www.eddiecollins.biz [email protected] [email protected] Out of the Blue String Beans Concho Grass Jamie Stubblefield Mike Montgomery Randy Blackwood (325) 227- (512) 923-4288 [email protected]

2074 [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/ www.outoftheblue.ws Texas Honeybees ConchoGrass Leslie Collier (512) 328-0144 [email protected]

17 CTBA Area Jams and Events

AUSTIN AREA, CTBA Bluegrass Association, free stage show and Wurzbach exit; (210) 824-9191. Every Sunday, 3 PM-??, CTBA Sunday jam jam; potluck and jam Friday night before. Jim (San Antonio continued) at Hill’s Café, 4700 S. Congress; (512) 851- Chapman (469) 231-6616. Every Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 or 8 PM, 9300. http://www.paluxybluegrass.com acoustic jam (bluegrass, gospel, old time country, etc.) at Brookdale Senior Living, 2nd and 4th Saturday, 3-5 PM, beg./int. jam HOUSTON 1207 Jackson-Keller Rd. For info, call Jim at Wildflower Terrace, 3801 Berkman Drive; 1st Tuesday, Fuddruckers, 2040 NASA Rd McCalla at (210) 653-0130. Steve Mangold (512) 345-6155. 1 (281) 333-1598 SCHULENBERG 1st and 3rd Thursday, 7-9 PM, beg./int. jam, 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 6 PM, jam at Schu- Northwest Hills area; Steve Mangold (512) JOHNSON CITY lenberg RV Park Community Center, 65 N. 345-6155. 3rd Saturday except in December, 2-6 PM, Kessler Ave. Laretta Baumgarten (979) 743- jam at The Dome, 706 W. Main St., Hwy 290 4388; [email protected] Every Thursday, 6-9 PM, beg./int. jam, W; Charlene Crump, (512) 632-5999. Texican Café, 11940 Manchaca Road; Dave TOMBALL Stritzinger, (512) 689-4433. LAMPASAS 4th Saturday, 4 PM, bluegrass jam at Kleb 2nd Thursday, 6-8:30 PM, jam at Country Woods Nature Center and Preserve, 20303 Every Tuesday, 8-10 PM, Texas Old Time Kitchen, 307 N. Key Ave. Acoustic instru- Draper Road, Tomball. (281) 373-1777 or Fiddling, Scholz Garten, 1607 San Jacinto; ments only. Info: Don Douglas (281) 910-4396. (512) 474-1958. [email protected]

BANDERA LEAGUE CITY (BABA) 4th Friday of each month except Good 3rd Saturday: Jam 5 PM, Stage show 6:30 Friday, November, and December at Silver PM Jan- Nov., League City Civic Center, 300 Sage Corral – east of Bandera. Starts at 6 PM. W. Walker St. (281) 636-9419. Sponsored by For more info call (830) 796-4969 Bay Area Bluegrass Association. silversagecorral.org LIBERTY HILL Curbfeeler’s Sundries. BELLVILLE 4rth Saturday, 4-9 PM, jam at the Stocktank, Texas jam/show Jan. through 8950 Ranch Road 1869, Liberty Hill; September, 4th Sat; 4pm jam, 6:30 pm show. (512) 778-6878. Emu jerky, live crawdads, Coushatte Recreation Ranch, 2812 Nelius Rd. bear traps, jawbreakers, LILLIAN (936) 697-5949 [email protected] milled flooring, cane fish- www.TXBluegrassMusic.com 2nd Saturday, 4 PM jam, 7 PM show, First Plenty of RV camping, restrooms, showers. Baptist Church, $4; contact Dale Brawner ing poles, pickled eggs, (972 935-4525. overalls, shotgun shells, BLANCO LLANO sorghum molasses, lottery First Saturday, 2-5 PM at Buggy Barn Muse- 2nd Monday, 7 PM, jam at Fuel Coffee um, 1915 Hwy 281 N; contact Deanna Dosser, tickets, barbed wire, House, 106 East Main St.; (325) 247-5272; (830) 554-0006 www.fuelcoffeehouse.org cattle guards, beans, kero-

sene, outboard motor oil, CUERO MEDINA First and 3rd Thursday, 5-8 PM, acoustic inboard motor oil, harness 2nd Tuesday, all gospel jam, 6 PM at First jam at The Emporium, 417 E. Newman St.; Baptist Church; contact Linda Barton (830) and tack of all kinds, pe- Darrell Ferguson (256) 714-0766 589-2486. cans, chilipetins, japa-

2nd Friday, jam at 6 PM, Masonic Lodge; DRIPPING SPRINGS leeno candy, gingham contact Maude Arnold (830) 796-8422. Last Saturday of each month, 3 PM, jam at curtains, lag bolts, car- Hudsons on Mercer St.; contact Cliff at (701) PEARL riage bolts, gravel by the 770-8962 or [email protected] 1st Saturday: Jam all day/night, stage cubic yard, weedeater show, 12:15 PM-6:15 PM; food and RV FAYETTEVILLE: line, surfcasting weights, hookups available. Pearl Community Center, Texas Pickin’ Park: Jam 2nd Saturday, Apr.- on FM 183, 7 mi. south of Purmela; contact flaxseed poltices. Nov. beginning at 6 PM on the courthouse [email protected]. Check web site for square. Acoustic instruments only. show schedule: www.pearlbluegrass.com For info: [email protected] Rufus Curbfeeler, Prop. www.texaspickinpark.com ROUND ROCK Catwater, Texas 3rd Saturday, 2-5 PM except November and GARLAND December, jam at Danny Ray’s Music, 12 Bluegrass on the Square: Every Saturday, Chisholm Trail; (512) 671-8663. March- November between Main and State www.dannyraysmusic.com Sts. At 6th, 7:30 PM to 1 AM

SAN ANTONIO GLEN ROSE Every Monday, 6:30-8:30 PM, at The Barbe- 3rd Saturday, Oakdale Park, Paluxy River cue Station, 1610 NE Loop 410 at Harry

18 Membership and Advertising Rates

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ATTN: Treasurer Compilation CD of member bands, vol 2 $10 Central Texas Bluegrass Association CTBA logo T-shirt (black, white, orange) $15 Box 9816 design T-shirt $20 Austin, Texas 78766-9816 Mona Lisa design T-shirt $20