Peter Thompson’s July Compendium of All Things Bluegrass

Molly O’Day’s music — with the Cumberland Mountain Folks in the ’40s & ’50s, as well as contemporary interpretations — its celebrated on the July 9th Bluegrass Signal radio show.

July 3, 2022

Greetings –

Thanks for your interest in Bay Area bluegrass and old time music events — and for sending me updates and corrections. Please visit the Bluegrass Signal web site for the latest listings and playlists, as well as a number of items and articles of interest to bluegrass and old time music fans.

I hope you were able to attend the CBA’s Father’s Day Festival (three of the photos in this newsletter are from that event) or any of the excellent festivals that have happened in 2022. There are more to come — see below for details — as well as increasing numbers of concerts, jam sessions, and instructional opportunities (including many music camps).

Hope you’re able to hear and/or play some music soon!

~ PeterT

Happy 80th birthday to the one & only PETER ROWAN!

CONCERTS

NOTE: most of these events require proof of vaccination/wearing of face masks.

July 4 (1 pm): AJ Lee & Blue Summit – Community Park, Davis

July 4 (3 pm): Peter Rowan & Friends – The Junction, 226 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley

July 5 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

July 7: The Goat Hill Girls – Summit House, Los Gatos

July 7: Blue & Lonesome / Ed Neff & Friends – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

July 8 (5:30 pm): Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band; followed by the Bollywood Blues of Aki Kumar – Point Richmond Summer Music Festival (Washington Ave. & Park Place in downtown PR)

Molly Tuttle –

– July 10: Stern Grove Festival, SF; with Old Crow Medicine Show

– July 12: Luther Burbank Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa

– July 13: Mountain Winery, Saratoga

July 12 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

July 14: Wildcat Mountain Ramblers – Summit House, Los Gatos

July 14: Blue & Lonesome / Ed Neff & Friends – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

July 15 (5:30 pm): Bloomfield Bluegrass Band – William Tell House, Tomales

July 16 (11 am): The Goat Hill Girls – Red Morton Park, Redwood City

July 19 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

July 21: Purple Mountain Majesty Band – Summit House, Los Gatos

July 21: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

July 24 (6 pm): The Goat Hill Girls – house concert in Saratoga; info/tix: 1hisierraman-at-gmail-dot-com

July 24: Amythyst Kiah; LeAnn Rimes – Stern Grove Festival, SF

July 26 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

July 28: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

July 30 (2 pm): The Goat Hill Girls – Mountain View Library (outdoor) concert – 585 Franklin St., MV

July 30: Eric Thompson & Friends – The Back Room, Berkeley

July 31 (1 pm): Bloomfield Bluegrass Band – Brewsters Beer Garden, Petaluma

July 31 (1 pm): Siesta Valley Strings & Things Festival – Bruns Amphitheater, 100 California Shakespeare Theater Way, Orinda – with the Sam Bush Band; AJ Lee & Blue Summit; Tony Furtado; Buttered Duo (HBR’s Nat Keefe & Eric Yates); others

Aug. 2 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

Aug. 3 (6 pm): Bean Creek – Sam’s BBQ, San Jose

Aug. 4: The Goat Hill Girls – Summit House, Los Gatos

Aug. 4: Blue & Lonesome / Ed Neff & Friends – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

Punch Brothers –

– Aug. 5: Mountain Winery, Saratoga

– Aug. 6: Green Music Center, Rohnert Park

– Aug. 7: Ford Amphitheater, LA

Aug. 5 (4:30 pm): The Goat Hill Girls – Escalon Park Fete, Escalon

Aug. 6: The Goat Hill Girls – house concert in Folsom

Aug. 6: The Crooked Jades – Point San Pablo Harbor

Aug. 9 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

Aug. 11: Wildcat Mountain Ramblers – Summit House, Los Gatos

Aug. 11: Blue & Lonesome / Ed Neff & Friends – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

Aug. 16 – Sept. 11: Oklahoma! – Golden Gate Theatre, SF; pit band includes Justin Hiltner

Aug. 16 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

Aug. 18: Purple Mountain Majesty Band – Summit House, Los Gatos

Aug. 18: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

Aug. 19: Kathy Kallick Band – The Folsom Opry; info & res: john-at-shaunv-dot-com

Aug. 23 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

Aug. 24: The Goat Hill Girls – Sam’s BBQ, San Jose

Aug. 25: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band – Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

Aug. 30 (5 pm): Skillet Licorice – The Page, SF

Sept. 9 (5:30 pm): Laurie Lewis; followed by the Zydeco of Andre Thierry – Point Richmond Summer Music Festival (Washington Ave. & Park Place in downtown PR)

Billy Strings –

– Sept. 28: Sacramento Memorial Auditorium

– Sept. 30: Frost Amphitheater, Stanford​

Oct. 3: Bela Fleck & the Gang of Twang (Jacob Jolliff, Stuart Duncan, Bryan Sutton, Mark Schatz, and Justin Moses) – Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

Oct. 4: John Prine Celebration – with Kathy Kallick, Tony Marcus, Crying Time, Steve Baughman, others – Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

​Oct. 16: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project (with Tristan Scroggins, Megan Lynch Chowning, Adam Hurt) – The Back Room, Berkeley

FESTIVALS

July 21-24: Northwest String Summit – North Plains, OR

Del McCoury Band, Travelin’ McCourys, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Infamous Stringdusters, Leftover Salmon, Yonder Mountain String Band, Larry Keel Experience, Greensky Bluegrass, many others

July 21-24: Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival – Stevenson, WA

The Price Sisters; The Slocan Ramblers; The Special Consensus; Farmstrong; Sunny South; Dennis Berck Band with Annie Staninec; Bill Jolliff; Ellie Hakanson

July 29-31: Bluegrass From the Forest Festival – Shelton, WA

​John Reishman & the Jaybirds; Jim Hurst; AJ Lee & Blue Summit; Nick Dumas & Branchline; Runaway Train

Aug. 11-14: Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival – San Benito County Historical Park, Tres Pinos

Bean Creek; Birches Bend; Dan & Laurel; Dark Hollow Bluegrass Band; Eric Burman & the Brookdale Bluegrass Band; Festival Speed Bluegrass; Jubilee; Lucky Drive Bluegrass Band; Marin County Breakdown; Mission Blue; Muleskinner Stomp; Open Heartstrings; Solid Gold Stranger; The Goat Hill Girls; The High Water Line; The Mother Corn Shuckers; The Ramblers; The Rose Valley Thorns; The Storytellers; Who’s Feeling Young Now; Young & Up Too Late

Aug. 12-14: Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival – Medical Lake, WA

John Reischman & the Jaybirds; Lonesome Ace Stringband; The Onlies; Ben Winship & Eli West; A Tribute to John Hartford; West Coast Bluegrass Trio (w/ Nick Dumas & Chris Luquette); Northbound; Riders of the Rockin’ B Ranch; Buck 99; King Trouble & The Cherry Pickers; Eyer Family Band

Aug. 19-21: Summergrass San Diego – Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, Vista

Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass; Moore-Cowan-Block-Davis; Fast Track (with Jesse Brock); Phil Salazar & The Kin Folk; Front Porch Music Preservation Society; Vulcan Mountain Boys

Aug. 19-21: Bowers Mansion Bluegrass Festival – Washoe Valley, NV

Kathy Kallick Band; Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band; Central Valley Boys; Sage Creek; Front Porch; The Note-ables

Sept. 2-4: North Cascades Bluegrass Festival – Bellingham, WA

The Special Consensus; Blue Canyon Boys; Stillhouse Junkies; The Kody Norris Show; Rebekah Speer; Lonesome Town Painters; Runaway Train

Sept. 22-25: Berkeley Old Time Music Convention

Alice Gerrard with Tatiana Hargreaves & Reed Stutz; Earl White Stringband; Piedmont Bluz; Skillet Licorice Orchestra; New Vintage Revelers; Corn Potato String Band; Evie Ladin; Robin Fischer; Clinton Davis; Thompsonia Cajun Band; Meredith Axelrod & Craig Ventresco; Right To Parlay; The Propagators; Sigelstein & Horowitz Duo (of Veretski Pass)

Oct. 7-9: Huck Finn Jubilee – Bonelli Bluffs RV Resort & Campground, San Dimas

JAM SESSIONS

NOTE: most of these events require proof of vaccination/wearing of face masks.

IN-PERSON JAM SESSIONS

Sundays (3 pm): Taco Refuge jam – Scout Rock – 2360 Scout Rd., Oakland (outdoors)

First Sunday (1-5 pm): Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association monthly jam – Municipal Rose Garden Park, 1649 Naglee Ave., San Jose (if rain: Hoover School, Naglee & Park, SJ)

First Sunday (7:30 pm): Shoe Jam – Lucky Horseshoe, 453 Cortland Ave, SF

July 3: Lucy Smith, Dan Norton, Dan Large; possibly: John McFarlane, Alan Bond

Second Saturdays (12 pm): Bluegrass Train Jam – Santa Clara Depot, 1005 Railroad Ave, SC; host/info: kennedymk-at-comcast-dot-net

Mondays (7-9 pm): South Bay (Mostly) Old-Time Jam – Unitarian Universalist Church, 505 East Charleston Rd., Palo Alto

First Monday (6 pm): The Garage Jam – Out West Roadhouse, 321-2nd St., Petaluma

3rd Tues (6:30 pm): Brewgrass Jam – Cato’s Ale House, 3891 Piedmont Ave., Oakland

July 3 (1 pm): Sonoma Jam – Coffee & Moore, Sebastopol; host/info: davidcarlson62-at-hotmail-dot-com

July 10 (4-6 pm): Marin Bluegrass Sessions – Mantra Wines, 881 Grant Ave., Novato

July 17 (1:30 pm): Sonoma Jam – Coffee & Moore, Sebastopol; host/info: davidcarlson62-at-hotmail-dot-com

July 27 (evening): new jam in Petaluma; info: ted-at-tedtedted-dot-com

Aug. 7 (4-6 pm): Marin Bluegrass Sessions – Mantra Wines, 881 Grant Ave., Novato

In-person jams at the Freight & Salvage, Berkeley –

• July 17 (3 pm): Old Time Jam w/ Tony Phillips
• July 24 (3 pm): Bluegrass-Country Jam w/ Richard Brandenburg
• Aug. 14 (3 pm): Old Time Jam w/ Tony Phillips
• Aug. 28 (3 pm): Bluegrass-Country Jam w/ Richard Brandenburg

ONLINE JAM SESSIONS

Tuesdays (7 pm): Andronico’s Oldtime Jam via Zoom led by Dinah and Noah Stroe; info/link: steve-dot-goldfield-at-gmail-dot-com

Second & Fourth Fridays (5:30 pm): BOTMC Slow Jam Fizz on Zoom & YouTube (on summer hiatus)

INSTRUCTION

• Evie Ladin
• Jack Tuttle
• Dix Bruce
• Old Time Fiddling w/ Suzy Thompson suzy-at-ericandsuzy-dot-com
• Bernal Jam Workshop w/ Richard Brandenburg richardbrandenburg-at-gmail-dot-com
• Flatpicking Fundamentals w/ Eric Thompson eric-at-ericandsuzy-dot-com
• Structure of Music w/ Avram Siegel avramsiegel-at-comcast-dot-net
• Manning Music chadandcath-at-gmail-dot-com

ONLINE INSTRUCTION

Summer session of online Freight & Salvage classes begins the week of July 11th and includes:

Wednesdays (5:30 pm): Mountain Dulcimer II w/ Deborah Hamouris

Wednesdays (7:00 pm): Intro to Mountain Dulcimer w/ Deborah Hamouris

IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION

Summer session of in-person Freight & Salvage classes begins the week of July 11th and includes:

Thursdays (7:00 pm): Back Playing Together: A How-to Class on Playing Songs With Other People w/ Richard Brandenburg

Thursdays (8:30 pm): The Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers: Songs From the Big Bang of Country Music w/ Richard Brandenburg

Saturdays (11:00 am) – July 16, July 30, & Aug. 13: Meet the Fiddle w/ Elise Engelberg

(for violin students ages 8-12)

​MUSIC CAMPS

NOTE: most of these events require proof of vaccination/wearing of face masks.

July (2 sessions): California Coast Music Camp (NOTE: waiting list only for both sessions)

– July 9-15: Missy Raines, Tristan Scroggins, Katie Glassman, Ray Bierl, Robin Flower, Libby McLaren, Chris Grampp, Tony Marcus, Mary Flower, Steve Baughman, Ed Johnson

– July 16-22: Jack Tuttle, Cindy Browne Rosefield, Carol McComb, Sylvia Herold, Mike Dowling, Valerie Rose, Nova Karina Devonie, David Miles Keenan, Danny Carnahan

July 25-29: West Marin Fiddle Camp – Bolinas

Dirk Powell, Riley Baugus, Amelia Powell, Nokosee Fields, Cahalen Morrison, Eli West, Rachel Price, Luke Price, Simon Leone, Rainy Eyes

July & August (4 sessions): Puget Sound Guitar Workshop – Port Orchard, WA

– July 23-28: Caleb Klauder, Reeb Willms, McKain Lakey, Cyd Smith

– July 30 – Aug. 5: Kathy Kallick, Cary Black, Laurel Bliss, Suzy Thompson, Mary Simkin-Maass, Wayne Henderson, Greg Schochet, Julian Smedley, Mike Wollenberg, Laura Smith

– Aug. 6-12: Hubby Jenkins, Jere Canote, Greg Canote, Carol McComb, Sylvia Herold, Tony Marcus, Tom Moran, Nova Karina Devonie, Ed Johnson

– Aug. 13-19: Tristan Scroggins, Phil Wiggins, Thomasina Winslow, John Miller, Nina Gerber, Mark Graham, Kat Bula, Orville Johnson, Marla Fibish, Kenny Feinstein, Steve Baughman

August (2 sessions): Nimblefingers – Sorrento, BC

Aug. 14-19: members of The Onlies, Lonesome Ace Stringband, Carl Jones & Erynn Marshall

Aug. 21-26: John Reischman, Patrick Sauber, Jere & Greg Canote, Tammy Fassaert, Jenny Lester, Trent Freeman

Sept. 8-11: American Banjo Camp – Port Orchard, WA

Bluegrass Banjo: Gina Furtado, Gerald Jones, Ned Luberecki, James McKinney, Alan Munde, Mike Stahlman

Old-Time Banjo: Paul Brown, Sara Grey, John Herrmann, Ken Perlman, Laura Smith, Stephen Wade

Other Instructors: David Cahn, Orville Johnson, Peter Langston, Mick Nicholson, Tristan Scroggins, Bobby Taylor

RADIO SHOWS

July 9: Happy Birthday, Molly O’Day

PT samples music from someone who was “considered by many vintage country music enthusiasts as the greatest female singer of all time, bringing a Pentecostal intensity to the mournful wail of Roy Acuff and unrelenting drive of Cousin Emmy.” (Bear Family Records)

July 16: Hicks With Sticks

Jose Segue’s guide to the world of twang — honky tonk, rockabilly, alt-country, western swing, and then some — often featuring new releases, usually with a Bay Area emphasis, and always including ticket giveaways.

July 23: All Kinds Of Country

Sully Roddy’s trademark mix of bluegrass, blues, country … and more.

July 30: Leah Picks ‘Em & Plays ‘Em

What’s recently caught the ear of Ms. Wollenberg?

Aug. 6: Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass

PT previews the 28th annual festival presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

Aug. 13: Across the Tracks

PT catches up on some new releases, with music by Peter Rowan, Kathy Kallick, Pharis & Jason Romero, the Local Honeys, Pam Gadd, Bob Minner’s tribute to Norman Blake, Bill Evans’ “Banjo In America,” Laura Orshaw, Slocan Ramblers, Benson, David Parmley, and, yes, others.

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Bluegrass Signal is also broadcast four times each week on Bluegrass Country.

The initial broadcast of Bluegrass Signal is on Monday at 11 pm (Eastern time). The show is then rebroadcast on Wednesdays (midnight), Fridays (6 pm), and Sundays (midnight). The times given are EASTERN and the program is available HERE.

Bluegrass Country has an ARCHIVE PLAYER, so you can pick the date and (Eastern) time of broadcast to hear Bluegrass Signal — or any of the other 33 shows on Bluegrass Country — at your convenience!

NOTE: Pacific Time broadcasts of Bluegrass Signal on Bluegrass Country:

Mon. (8 pm), Tues. (9 pm), Fri. (3 pm), and Sat. (9 pm).

July 4-17: Wasn’t That A Time?

PT presents music from the performers at the 47th Annual Father’s Day Festival.

July 18-31: All Kinds Of Country

Sully Roddy picks ’em & plays ’em.

Aug. 1-7: Hicks With Sticks

Jose Segue’s recent faves in the world of twang: honky tonk, rockabilly, alt-country, western swing, and maybe even a little quasi-bluegrass.

Aug. 8-14: Allegra Picks ‘Em & Plays ‘Em

What’s recently caught the ear of Ms. Thompson?

Aug. 15-21: Leah Picks ‘Em & Plays ‘Em

What’s recently caught the ear of Ms. Wollenberg?

Aug. 22-28: Happy Birthday, Molly O’Day!

PT presents many of her classics from the late ’40s and early ’50s, plus contemporary interpretations of her songs and tunes.

Bluegrass Signal PLAYLISTS

Please visit the Bluegrass Signal website for the May and June, 2022, playlists — and all the others!

~ GoFundMe campaign for Danny Paisley ~

The worldwide bluegrass community is defined by not only our love of the music and the tradition but also by our dedication to community. There are some members of our community who are known and revered by everyone. Danny Paisley, the reigning IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, is one of that special class — and he needs our love and support now.

Diagnosed with throat cancer, Danny began treatment on June 1st. His prognosis is excellent, but there will be some risk to his amazing singing — and, of course, the treatment is not easy and will significantly impact his livelihood.

Musicians have struggled to survive during the pandemic, and a situation like this has additional economic consequences. We are all huge fans and longtime friends of the Southern Grass family, and hope you will join us in supporting Danny Paisley while he’s off the road receiving medical treatment.

We’re hoping to raise $47,000 — in honor of the California Bluegrass Association’s 47th Annual Father’s Day Festival in 2022 — all of which will be given to Danny and his family.

We’re nearly halfway there, and appreciate you joining this GoFundMe campaign — as well as sharing the campaign on social media and offering some words of support to Danny.

Thanks very much for whatever you’re able to do –

Darby Brandli * Angelica Branum * Kathy Kallick * Laurie Lewis *

Tristan Scroggins * Annie Staninec * Peter Thompson * Molly Tuttle

for the California Bluegrass Association

on behalf of Danny Paisley (pictured above with son Ryan Paisley)