Bluegrass news and events, near and far - October 8

New Listings & Announcements/Reminders:

1. New listings/changes this week:

a. Rosemary Bowen sent me information about a show this weekend in Pauls Valley, OK:

Pauls Valley Jr. High Art and Chorus presents the First Annual Bluegrass Show featuring Mark Phillips & IIIrd Generation, special bluegrass numbers to be presented by Pauls Valley Jr High and High School Chorus, Saturday, October 11, 2008, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. at the Garvin County Fair Building. Admission $6.00. Questions ? Contact Rosemary at rosemary@brightok.net

2. Announcements/Reminders/News:

a. Patrick Bouldin contacted me with some news about the Texas Prairie Band:

Well, Patrick is reforming the Texas Prairie Band and is very excited to use his “lessons learned” to really make this effort go far. He said he’s played with many of you over the last few years and would like you to consider helping him with this effort. He said he felt the key to a successful band is for everyone to agree on the goals, IN ADVANCE. So along those lines he’s using technology to help with that effort. All the details of this effort can be found at the old band website, just click here: http://www.texasprairieband.com and either email him from there or call (214) 295 – 5629.

b. Club member Jim Penson has announced startup of Jim Penson's Bluegrass Jam Camp. The camp is for beginners andwill will take place about twice a month in North Arlington, on alternate Tuesdays and Saturdays. Please see "Upcoming workshops & camps" below or visit Jim's website for more information. Camp information flyer is attached to this email.

c. I heard from Larry Sholl about the Chrystal Opryhouse Fall Bluegrass Festival held last weekend:

Hi,

We just spent 3 days and 3 nights at the Festival. Had a great time, met new folks and made new friends and listened to lots of great music.. One band, Backstage, consisted of 14 year olds. Believe me, they are going to be a hard act to follow in a few years. Young Riley Matthews did a wonderful job playing the Banjo, Fiddle, Mandolin, Guitar and Dobro. Erika Richardson did a great job as lead guitar and did very well on the Fiddle. Jill Corley, vocal, was great. Tyler Colley did really great on the standup Bass. It does my heart good to see the younger generation getting involved in Bluegrass. This is our guarantee that our music will continue.

Wish all of you could have been there. Some of you were and that was great.

Larry and Sandy

d. Al Hobson (Park City, KS) emailed me with some disappointing news about the Park City Bluegrass Festival:

Ed

The Fark City Bluegrass Festival is dead. The city and tourism would not finance anymore. There is not much bluegrass up here anymore. I appreciate all you folks have done to support us. Many thanks and good luck to you.

AL

e. Repeat Reminder: Attention Member Bands: We received an email from Hall's Pumpkin Farm located at 3420 Hall Johnson Road in Grapevine. Their season runs from Friday October 3rd every day through Saturday, October 31st. They usually play bluegrass music over their speakers but this year they are looking for some bluegrass bands to play mini concerts during this period - mostly on weekends toward the end of the month. We have supported them in the past and they would very much appreciate our support again. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Nelson at 817 421-4099, email lnelson85@verizon.net - also, visit their website for more information including directions.

f. Repeat Reminder: Arlington Guitar Show will be held on Saturday & Sunday, October 18th & 19th at The Arlington Convention Center

g. Upcoming Southwest Bluegrass Club Events:

1. Fall Picnic: Saturday, October 18th from 11:00 a.m. until dusk at Trawick Pavilion located in Oak Grove Park on Lake Grapevine. Covered pavilion seats 260 people and has two open air grills with plenty of space for jamming. The picnic will take the place of the Sunday Meeting in October.

2. Annual Christmas Dinner & Concert: will be held on Sunday, December 21st at the Holy Trinity Catholic School in Grapevine, the same location we've used for the past two years.

3. 2009 Winter Show: will be held on Saturday, March 21st at The Plaza Theater at 521 West State St. in downtown Garland. Audie Blaylock & Redline has been booked for the show ! More later.

h. FOR SALE:

1. Club member Jim Yarboro has stopped doing set-ups at Festivals. He has these instruments for sale: 4 Gibson Banjos (2 of which are Pre-War) , 2 Dobro, Guitars, and 2 Bass Fiddles. Contact at anytime 903 887-2926 or email

jimyarboro@ultravision.net

2. **PRICE HAS DROPPED BY $100** Life member Stanley Cox has an Eastman MD-615 "F" style mandolin for sale. It is 5mo. old and kept in new condition. The finish is the "Golden Age" or as Stanley calls it "The Ghoul Rush". It will be at the meeting this Sunday August 17th. Price with case is $1000.00 Contact Stanley Cox, ph. 972-292-1202 or src007@aol.com Pics avail thru e-mail.

i. (Repeat) Southwest Bluegrass Club announcement:

The board of directors of the Southwest Bluegrass Club is still considering the possibility of moving our meeting place to a location that better suits the needs of the membership. We are looking for a place that is close to the club’s demographic center (approximately the intersection of Hwy 183 and Hwy 360), has seating room for a larger audience (approximately 200-300), has adequate acoustics and stage, has separate rooms to accommodate jams and workshops as well as the regular meetings and is affordable to the club (maximum rental of $300 per month). All members are encouraged to help in the search for a new meeting place. If you are aware of a location that may suit the club, please contact Paul Stimson (817 929-8391, stimsonpaul@sbcglobal.net )

j. Changing your email address or any other contact ? Let me know by phone or mail. My contacts are at the end of this email.

k. Visit the Sabine Bluegrass website http://www.sabinebluegrass.com/ then click on "newsletter" for online form to subscribe to Gerald Block's weekly bluegrass emails.

****************************************************

Special Events through December 2008:

Wednesday - Saturday, October 8th - 11th: Turkey Track Harvestime Bluegrass Festival, Turkey Track Bluegrass Park, Waldron, AR. For information, contact Bill Lovett 479 637-3717, turkeytr@valuelinx.net or http://www.turkeytrackbluegrass.com/

Saturday, October 11th: Bluegrass Jam and Covered Dish Supper in memory of Jim Paul Miller, First Christian Church, 115 S. Glenbrook, Garland, TX. 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. For map, click here, for information call Shirley Miller at 972 276-3197 or Pepper Kay at 972 571-3942

Sunday - Saturday, October 12th - 18th: Fall Jam, Arbuckle Mountain Bluegrass Park, Davis, OK. For all details, directions, etc. visit http://www.arbucklemtbluegrasspark.com/ or contact Rosemary Bowen 405 665-5226 or email rosemary@brightok.net

Friday, October 17th: Poor David's Pub, 1313 South Lamar St., Dallas, TX. Cadillac Sky will appear. For information including map and directions, visit their website or call 214 565-1295.

Thursday - Saturday, October 23rd - 25th: Spring Creek Bluegrass Club Festival, Coushatte Recreation Ranch, Belleville, TX. For further information contact Carolyn or Buddy Brockett at 979 865-5250, 979 877-9526 cell or email bluegrass221@peoplepc.com. Visit the club website at www.springcreekbluegrass.com

Thursday - Saturday, October 23rd - 25th: 19th Annual Fall Chili Cookoff & Bluegrass Festival, Lester Flatt Memorial Park, Otto, AR. Contact Elizabeth Kuykendall 501 835-2451

Friday - Saturday, October 24th - 25th: Bluegrass Festival, Mitchell Resort and RV Park, Perrin, TX. Lineup includes The Star Canyon Band, Joe Bass & the Double Mountain Boys, Village Singers, Ellis County Bluegrass, Bluegrass Reunion. Open stage Friday 3:00 p.m. & Saturday 10:00 a.m.Tickets $10 Friday, $15 Saturday. For information visit http://mitchellparkandresort.com/ or call 940 798-4615, email mitchellresortandrvpark@yahoo.com

Saturday, October 25th: Bluegrass Concert, Texas Rose Horse Park, 14078 Sate Highway 110 North, Tyler, TX. Concert scheduled inside Texas Rose Horse Park all weather, state of the art equestrian arena. 1:00 p.m -10:00 p.m. Tickets $20, kids under 12 free. Advance tickets are available at Victor Music Exchange, 106 N. Main, Lindale, TX (903 882-1481) and Mt. Sylvan Coffee House & Mercantile 903 881-9444. Bring your lawn chairs, jamming sites near the concert area. Tentative lineup includes Hickory Hill, Bealtegras, High Strung, Tyler Cullender, Bowles Creek, Blue River, Rod Moag & Texas Grass. RV spaces available; advance reservations recommended, call 903 882-8696. For further information, call Beth Walker 817 714-4350, bethlhf@yahoo.com. More details to follow. Venue info: http://www.texasrosehorsepark.com/default.htm

Thursday - Saturday, November 6th - 8th: Mountain View Fall Bluegrass Festival, Ozark Folk Center, Mountain View, AR. contact 870 269-2704 or 2542 or visit http://www.mountainview-bluegrass.com/

***** Friday - Saturday, November 7th - 8th: Midwest Promoters Showcase of Bands, Holiday Inn Hotel, Springdale, AR. Contact Chuck Stearman 660 665-7172 for details. THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED *****

Saturday, November 15th: Bluegrass Show, Women's Building, 407 W. Jefferson St, Waxahachie, TX. 7:00 p.m., free admission (donations welcome). Cooke Brothers Band, Waco Thompson will perform. Click here for map. For info contact Billy Cooke 214 728-8959 or billycooke31@sbcglobal.net

Wednesday, December 10th: A Skaggs Family Christmas featuring Ricky Skaggs, Bass Performance Hall, 4th & Calhoun, Fort Worth, TX. Performance begins at 7:30 p.m. Ticket price range: $32.50 - $100. For information, call 817 212-4280 or visit http://www.basshall.com/

*********************************************************************

Regularly Scheduled Events:

Sunday:

Third Sunday: Southwest Bluegrass Club monthly meeting & Jam, Founders Building, 701 South Main, Grapevine, TX. Doors open at noon for jamming, meeting at 2:00 p.m., pot luck lunch at 2:30 p.m., concert 3:00 p.m, followed by Club Jam with Stanley Cox at approximately 4:30 p.m.

Coming up November 16th TBA (No meeting October 19th - join us at our Fall picnic on Saturday October 18th - see note under "Announcements" above)

Monday:

Every Monday: Fort Worth Songwriters Association meets at The Rig Restaurant, 6308 South Freeway (I-35W), Fort Worth, TX., 7:00 p.m. 817 293-8363 This is an opportunity for songwriters to perform and seek advise on writing all types of songs. More information available at http://fwsa.com/home.html

Friday:

Third Friday: First Baptist Church, Lillian, TX ** (formerly held in Cleburne), price $4.00

Open Stage/Slow Jam with David Price at 6:15 p.m. , show at 7:00 p.m. Open Jam after the show

Call 817 641-5700, 817 790-8722 or click on http://www.ntbbluegrass.com/ for more information. No show in December.

Coming up October 17th: No Turning Back, Cooke Brothers, Alaska String Band

November 21st: No Turning Back, The Star Canyon Band, Foggy Memory Boys

December 19th: No Show in December

** NTB's Third Friday Cleburne is now held at the First Baptist Church, Lillian, TX. Lillian is located on Hwy 917 about halfway between Mansfield and I-35W; FBC is located just west of Hwy 917 in downtown Lillian. Click here for a mapquest link: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/lillian+tx/

Saturday:

First Saturday: Bluegrass Show at Chrystal Opry House, 1977 White Mound Road, Sherman, TX (near Tom Bean, TX). Show at 7:00 p.m., doors open at 6:00 p.m., Admission is $5 each (12 and under free with adult). For more info, call Bill or Annette Hayes at 903 546-6893 or email info@chrystalopryhouse.com . Additional information including map is available on the Chrystal Opryhouse website: http://www.chrystalopryhouse.com/

Coming up November 1st: The Upper Grassmen, Grass Notes

December 6th: The Upper Grassmen, High Strung

Second Saturday: Greater Oklahoma Bluegrass Music Society Show and Jam, Oklahoma Country Western Museum & Hall of Fame, 3925 SE 29th, Del City, OK, 6:30 p.m., admission $6 ($5 for members, $4 for members over 65, $3 for teens). Contact Melba Arnold at 405 677-7515 or visit the GOBMS website

Coming up October 11th: Henderson Family, Brigade, The Alaska String Band

Second Saturday: Bluegrass Show, Civic Center, Venus, TX. 7:00 - 10:00 p.m, contact Dale Brawner at 972 435-4201

Third Saturday: Monthly Bluegrass Show, in the old building next to the South Main Cafe (Cafe address is 1222 South Main, Paris, TX) across the Railroad tracks from Paris Milling Company in Paris, TX., Two shows, 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. contact Whiz & Bo Creighton, 903 785-3958, bcreighton@neto.com, Hugh Jones, 903 739-2000, hughjones7@sbcglobal.net or Pat Conrad, 903 782-8717

Coming up October 18th: High Strung at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., guest band Mac Smith Band at 7:00 p.m.

November 15th: High Strung at 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., guest band Bill Grant at 7:00 p.m.

Third Saturday: Bay Area Bluegrass Association 3rd Saturday Show, Johnny Arolfo Civic Center, 300 W. Walker, League City, TX. See the BABA website for more details. Call or email Rick Kirkland at 713 249-2986 for more information. No show May & December

Coming up October 18th: Sabine Bluegrass (aka Crabgrass), Texas Harmony

Fourth Saturday: Spring Creek 4th Saturday Bluegrass Club Jam Session & Show, Coushatte Recreation Ranch, Belleville, TX. Jamming starts at 4:00 p.m., show starts at 6:30 p.m. For further information contact Carolyn or Buddy Brockett at 979 865-5250, 979 877-9526 cell or email bluegrass221@peoplepc.com. Visit the club website at www.springcreekbluegrass.com No show October, November & December (Club's Festival held in October).

Fourth Saturday: 4th Saturday Bluegrass Show, Carroll Green Civic Center, Quitman, TX. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., open stage 7:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., featured performers start at 7:30 p.m. Admission $7.00. For further information contact Mack Smith at 903 852-6588 or Daisy Smith 903 714-5248

*********************************************

Upcoming Workshops & Camps:

a. Jim Penson's Bluegrass Jam Camp for Beginners, 2205 Stafford Drive, Arlington, TX 76012. Camp information flyer is attached to this email. Visit Jim's website for more information or contact Jim by email: jim@pensonstringwerks.com

Upcoming Camp dates and times: Tuesday, October 14th, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Saturday, October 25th, 1.p.m. - 4 p.m.

Tuesday, October 28th, 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

b. Wednesday, October 22nd: Beginner/Intermediate Mandolin Workshop with Steve Smith at Charley's Guitar Shop, 2720 Royal Lane, Dallas, TX 75229. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., cost $25. For details call 972 243-4187 or check Charley's events page

b. Alan Munde Gazette is holding a workshop from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. concert on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at San Jacinto College Central Campus in Pasadena, TX. Cost is $50 for all, $10 concert only. Workshop options are banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass and guitar. For more information contact Kerry Jones: tubabanjoguy@hotmail.com or 832-545-7261. Information also available on Alan Munde Gazette's website

c. BABA has a great series of workshops lined up for January 2009. Orrin Star is coming to town for four workshops on both flatpicking guitar and mandolin. Orrin is an award-winning guitarist and mandolin player who combines hot picking, cool singing, and good humor. Once described as "Arlo Guthrie meets Doc Watson", he was the 1976 National Flatpicking Champion, has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, and has a repertoire that ranges from bluegrass standards to little-known folk gems, Celtic fiddle tunes, to fingerstyle blues. Orrin will be presenting four workshops (two on flatpicked guitar and two on mandolin) Friday evening through Sunday during the weekend of January 16, 2009. Because Orrin values the ability to work closely with a small number of participants, we will have a tight limit on space of about a dozen participants per session. We will send out a detailed e-mail later this year, but if you'd like more information or to secure your places early, please feel free to get in touch with Joe Dodson at joe.dodson@yahoo.com or by phone at 713-880-5991.

*********************************************

Local Jams:

Third Sunday: Slow Jam - Southwest Bluegrass Club Jam approximately 4:00 p.m. after the concert at Founders Building, 701 South Main in Grapevine. Next jam: November 16th *** No jam October 19th - join us at our Fall picnic on Saturday October 18th - see note under "Announcements" above) ***

Second Monday: Slow Jam at Charley's Guitar Shop, 7:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m. Check Charley's events page for more info.

Next Jams: October 13th, November 10th

Mondays (twice monthly - check schedule - day of the week may change !!): Love & War in Texas, 610 E. Plano Pkwy, Plano, TX, 7:00 p.m - 9:30 p.m. Click here for map; click here for venue info. Jam is hosted by Chris Plumlee. Chris has posted a meetup site with further information: http://bluegrass.meetup.com/146/

Every Tuesday: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m next door to South Main Cafe located at 1222 South Main, Paris, TX 75460.

Every Tuesday: Bluegrass Gospel jam at Hunters' Glen Baptist Church, 4100 Custer Road (between Parker & Spring Creek), Plano, TX 75023. Jam is held in Building E (in the portables just south of the main building) from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. Questions ? Call Bob Campere at 214 226-9433. Church website: http://www.huntersglen.org/templates/System/default.asp?id=31332

Every Thursday (moved from every Tuesday): time and location may change. Randy Watkins' website: http://randygwatkins.googlepages.com/ is kept updated with news about the next jam. There is an email link on the website in case you need to contact Randy.

Thursday before the first Saturday of the Month. Bluegrass Jam at Chrystal Opry House, 1977 White Mound Road, Sherman, TX (near Tom Bean, TX). 7:00 p.m. For more info or if you have any questions, call Bill or Annette Hayes at 903 546-6893 or info@chrystalopryhouse.com For more info including map check Chrystal Opry House website: http://www.chrystalopryhouse.com/ Upcoming jams: October 30th, December 4th

Every other Thursday: from 7:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. at Larry Sholl's home in McKinney, TX. Jam is open to all club members. Call Larry for information and directions: 214 680-1819. Next Jam: October 16th

Third Friday: First Baptist Church, Lillian, TX ** (formerly held in Cleburne). Slow jam with David Price at 6:15, open jam after the show (see show details below). Next jams/shows: October 17th

** NTB's Third Friday is now held at the First Baptist Church, Lillian, TX. Lillian is located on Hwy 917 about

halfway between Mansfield and I-35W; FBC is located just west of Hwy 917 in downtown Lillian.

Click here for a mapquest link: http://www.mapquest.com/maps/lillian+tx/

Every Saturday Evening (April thru October): Garland Square Pickers, 6th and Main, Garland, TX . Check website for info: http://www.garlandsquarepickers.com/

First Saturday (exception: second Saturday in September): Pearl Bluegrass Event, Community Center, Pearl, TX. Check website for info: http://www.pearlbluegrass.com/

Third Saturday: Pickin' in the Park, Rose Park, Walnut Creek Drive (about 1/2 mile south of Hwy 287) Mansfield, TX. 5:30 p.m. - ?, weather permitting. Contact Will Thomasson at 817 453-0646.