Feb. 29, 2024

Greetings -

Happy Leap Year Day and welcome to the more-or-less monthly newsletter listing the bluegrass and old time music events in our region -- and providing information about Bluegrass Signal, the weekly radio program on KALW (San Francisco) and syndicated via Bluegrass Country.

Speaking of KALW ... the Spring Membership Campaign is right around the corner, with the Bluegrass Signal special happening on Saturday, March 16th, from 4:00 - 5:30 pm on KALW, 91.7 FM in the Bay Area.

The program features music from the four new releases pictured above -- any (or all) of which can be yours for a donation to KALW on behalf of Bluegrass Signal. Go HERE to

make your secure online donation -- and select your thank you gift(s). Thanks in advance for your support!

Go HERE to find out more about all these albums:

• MISSY RAINES: Highlander;
• KATHY KALLICK BAND: The Lonesome Chronicles;
• LAURIE LEWIS: Trees; and
• THE PRICE SISTERS: Between the Lines.

Thanks also for for sending me additions and corrections regarding upcoming bluegrass and old time music events. Please visit the Bluegrass Signal web site for constantly-updated event listings and radio show playlists, as well as a number of items and articles of interest to bluegrass and old time music fans.

If you enjoy jamming ... with the addition of four new regular jam sessions, we're now up to 35 (!) regular jams — weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly — in the greater Bay Area. Some are strictly old time, a few are open, many are bluegrass, all are welcoming.

You can now subscribe to the KALW Music Newsletter HERE.

I hope you're able to hear and/or play some music soon -

PeterT



CONCERTS

Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell -

- Feb. 29: The Side Door, Sacramento

- March 1: house concert in Santa Cruz

- March 2: Fifth St. Farms, Berkeley

March 1-3: BOTMC Spring Situation - A weekend with Jere & Greg Canote

3/1: concert - The Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St., Berkeley * SOLD OUT *

3/2: square dance - Christ Church East Bay, 2138 Cedar St., Berkeley

3/3 (1 pm): screening of "The Canote Twins” documentary film, followed by Q&A - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

March 1: The Buckeye Boys - Aqua Cafe, Petaluma

March 2: High Country - The Back Room, Berkeley

March 2: Michael Stadler; 3 Acre Holler Trio - Redwood Cafe, Cotati 

March 3: The Whiskey Brothers - Armistice Brewing, Richmond

March 5: Skillet Licorice (and guests) - The Page, SF

March 6: Bean Creek - Sam's BBQ, San Jose

March 7: Blue & Lonesome - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

March 7: Bluegrass Holiday - ​Paper Mill Creek Saloon, Forest Knolls

March 8: Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands; B-Craft - Sweetwater, Mill Valley

March 8: Sullivan Tuttle (solo) - Luma, Petaluma

March 8: Feral Friday Square Dance - Polish Club, SF; music: Skillet Licorice; caller: Mike Lewinski

March 10 (2:30 pm): Trouble Town - Lucca Beer Garden, Benicia

March 10: Trouble Town - The Riptide, SF

March 12: Skillet Licorice (and guests) - The Page, SF

March 12: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band - Redwood Cafe, Cotati



Mission Blue -

- March 13 (5:30 pm): HopMonk Tavern, Sebastopol

- March 15 (5:30 pm): Mission Blue - Sam's Chowder House, Half Moon Bay

Todalo Shakers - 

- March 13: house concert in Oakland; houseconcert-at-att-dot-net

- March 14: house concert in Portola Valley; Angela-at-icloud-dot-com

- March 15: house concert in Santa Cruz; herrmann-dot-irene-at-gmail-dot-com

- March 16: house concert in Folsom; john-at-shaunv-dot-com 

March 14: Blue & Lonesome - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

March 14: Chad & Jasper Manning's Bluegrass & Beyond - Kensington Circus Pub; with Tyler Stegall, Jayna Manning, and Paul Knight

March 16: Red Dog Ash - Otter Opry, Monterey

March 16: John Barleycorn - The Riptide, SF

March 17: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band - Penngrove Pub  

March 19: Skillet Licorice (and guests) - The Page, SF

March 20: Sidesaddle & Co - Sam's BBQ, San Jose

March 21: Bluegrass Holiday - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

March 21: Cedar Mountain String Band - Redwood Cafe, Cotati 

Level Best -

- March 21: Sweetwater, Mill Valley; Savannah Blu opens

- March 23: Hop Dogma Brewery, Half Moon Bay

March 22: Jenni Muldaur & Teddy Thompson Sing The Great Country Duets - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

March 23: Solid Gold Stranger - Redwood Cafe, Cotati 

March 26: Skillet Licorice (and guests) - The Page, SF

March 26: Taylor Mountain String Band - Redwood Cafe, Cotati 

March 28: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

April 3: Bean Creek - Sam's BBQ, San Jose

April 4: Bruce Molsky - The Hillside Club, Berkeley 

April 4: Blue & Lonesome - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

April 4 & 5: The Infamous Stringdusters - Sweetwater, Mill Valley

April 5: The Buckeye Boys - Aqua Cafe, Petaluma

Evie Ladin Band -

- April 4: house concert in Portola Valley; info/res: Angela-at-icloud-dot-com

- April 5: Fifth St Farms, Berkeley

- April 6: The Barn, Gilroy; info/res: ebehlmer-at-yahoo-dot-com -

- April 12: The Pearle, Locke

- April 20: house concert in Auburn; info/res: garywells101-at-gmail-dot-com

- April 21: Fiddletown Community Center

April 7: The Whiskey Brothers - Armistice Brewing, Richmond

John Reischman & the Jaybirds -

- April 10: Little River Inn   

- April 11: Fifth Street Farms, Berkeley

- April 12: Otter Opry, Monterey

- April 13: The Side Door, Sacramento

​April 11: Lindsay Lou - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

April 11: Blue & Lonesome - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

April 11: Chad & Jasper Manning's Bluegrass & Beyond - Kensington Circus Pub

April 13: Mission Blue - Redwood Cafe, Cotati

April 18: Bluegrass Holiday - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

The Slocan Ramblers -

- April 18: Chico Women's Club

- April 19: The Side Door, Sacramento

- April 21: The Sweetwater, Mill Valley; The Bow Ties open

Caleb Klauder & Reeb Wilms with the Cali Cutups (Brandon Godman/fid, Zach Sharpe/bs, Jack Kinney/bjo) -

- April 24: Peri’s Tavern, Fairfax

- April 25: Tower Theater, Fresno

- April 27: The Pearl, Locke

April 25: Bloomfield Bluegrass Band - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma

April 25: Cedar Mountain String Band - Redwood Cafe, Cotati 

April 26: Kathy Kallick Band - Folsom Opry; info/res: john-at-shaunv-dot-com

April 27 (4 pm): Hydra-matic Drive Bluegrass Band (Tom Bekeny, Avram Siegel, Mike & Karen Wilhoyt) - Pond Farm Brewery, San Rafael

May 9: Mr Sun - Sweetwater, Mill Valley

May 11: AJ Lee & Blue Summit - Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz

​May 11: Bluegrass Holiday - Redwood Cafe, Cotati

May 17: Missy Raines & Alleghany with Robbie Fulks - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

May 18: John McEuen & the Circle Band - Sweetwater, Mill Valley

May 24: Kathy Kallick Band - Fifth Street Farms, Berkeley

Larry & Joe -

- May 23: Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

- May 24: house concert in Santa Cruz; info/res: Concerts-at-InstantHarmony-dot-com

July 9: Jacob Jolliff Band - Otter Opry, Monterey

Aug. 8: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Napa Town & Country Fair

FESTIVALS

March 9: Sonoma County Bluegrass and Folk Festival - Sebastopol Community Cultural Center

Mike Beck; Modern Hicks; Broken Compass Bluegrass; Phil Salazar & Tom Corbett; The Crooked Jades; The Town Howlers; 3 Acre Holler

March 15-17: Brookdale Bluegrass Festival - Brookdale Lodge

Peter Rowan; Red Dog Ash; Stoney Mountain Ramblers; Wildcat Mountain Ramblers; Banjer Dan; Brookdale Bluegrass Band; many others

April 21: San Francisco Festival of the Mandolins - Croatian American Cultural Center

Six Eight featuring Teo Quale; Noctambule featuring Marla Fibish; Grupo Falso Baiao featuring Jesse Appleman; Gravenstein Mandolin Ensemble; Aurora Mandolin Orchestra

April 26-28: Berkeley Bluegrass Festival - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

4/26: Appalachian Road Show; Never Come Down; Broken Compass Bluegrass; Fog Holler

4/27: Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands; Kathy Kallick Band; Hard Drive; Salty Sally

4/28: Kody Norris Show; Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass; Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms & the Cali Cutups; Marin County Breakdown

... plus workshops, jams, more

May 10-12: Parkfield Bluegrass Festival, Parkfield

Mr Sun; Edgar Loudermilk Band; Never Come Down; The Clements Brothers; Mountain Highway; Central Valley Boys; Blue Birds On A Wire; Who's Feeling Young Now; SLO County Stumblers; Amber Cross

May 22-27: Strawberry Music Festival - Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley

Tim O’Brien Band; Aoife O’Donovan; Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley; Kathy Kallick Band; Authentic Unlimited; AJ Lee & Blue Summit; Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band; Hawktail; Pascal Bokar’s Afrobluegrazz Band; Caltucky; Robert Randolph Band; Big Richard; Roy Rogers; Goodnight Texas; Jason Lang; Chatham Rabbits; Yasmin Williams; Sugarcane Jane; David Wilcox; Banana Slug String Band

June 13-16: CBA Father's Day Festival - Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley

Main Stage: Alison Brown; Danny Paisley & Southern Grass; Sister Sadie; Lonesome River Band; Country Gongbang; Tray Wellington Band; Rick Faris Band; Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen; The Horsenecks; Paul Brown & Terri McMurray

California Showcase Bands: Salty Sally; Caltucky; One Button Suit; Solid Gold Stranger; Trouble Town

Vern's Stage: tba

July 4-7: High Sierra Music Festival - Plumas County Fairgrounds, Quincy

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Greensky Bluegrass, Sam Grisman Project,

AJ Lee & Blue Summit, many others

Aug. 16-18: Dead On the Creek - Black Oak Ranch, Laytonville

Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Broken Compass Bluegrass, Never Come Down, Caltucky, Stu Allen & Mars Hotel, Garcia-Grisman Revisited, others

JAM SESSIONS

IN-PERSON JAM SESSIONS 

April 16-21: CBA Spring Campout (including the California State Old Time Fiddle & Pickin’ Championships) - Lodi Grape Festival Grounds, Lodi

Aug. 22-25: Golden Old Time Campout - Camp Russian River, Guerneville

Oct. 14-20: CBA Fall Campout - Lodi Grape Festival Grounds, Lodi

​Nov. 1-3: South State 48 - Carlsbad by the Sea Hotel, Carlsbad

<><><><><> REGULAR EVENTS <><><><><><>

Sundays (11 am): Market & Main (upstairs), Martinez

Sundays (4 pm): The Lucky Horseshoe, SF; performance bluegrass jam led by Ron Esparza

Sundays (6 pm): Tam Jam - invitational jam at Taste of Rome, 1000 Bridgeway, Sausalito

3/10: old time night

First Sundays (1 pm): Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association - Hoover Middle School, Naglee & Park, San Jose

3/3: 1-5 pm: open jam; 1 pm: old time jam; 1:30 pm: slow jam; 1:30 pm: Southern Old-Time Fiddle Workshop w/ Ray Chen; 1:30 pm: Bluegrass jam led by Robert Cornelius

Second Sundays (3 pm): North Bay Old Time Music Sessions - Redwood Cafe, 8240 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati; host/info: heidi-dot-chesney-at-gmail-dot-com​

(mostly) Second Sundays (3 pm): Old Time Jam w/ Tony Phillips - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

next jams: 3/10, 4/14, 5/12, 6/9

(mostly) Second Sundays (4 pm): Marin Bluegrass Sessions - Mantra Wines, 881 Grant Ave., Novato

​Third Sundays (1 pm): old time jam hosted by Bruce Thompson & others - The Way Station, Fairfax

Third Sundays (1 pm): SCVFA jam - South Bay/Peninsula parks (changes each month; cancelled if rain)

3/17: Washington Park, Sunnyvale

** Starting March 24 **

Fourth Sundays (noon): Sweetwater, Mill Valley;

host/info: bruce-dot-sadownick-at-gmail-dot-com

Fourth Sundays (1:30 pm): California State Old-Time Fiddlers District 9 bluegrass and old time jams - United Methodist Church, Castro Valley; 

info: steve-dot-goldfield-at-gmail.com 

Fourth Sundays (3 pm): Redwood Cafe, Cotati; tedkuster-at-californiabluegrass-dot-net​

​(mostly) Fourth Sundays (3 pm): Bluegrass & Country Jam w/ Richard Brandenburg - Freight & Salvage, Berkeley

next jams: 3/24, 4/28, 5/26

Fifth Sundays (1 pm): Sebastopol Grange Hall; info: socofoso-at-gmail-dot-com

Mondays (6:30 pm) open jam, followed (at 8:30 pm) by band performance - Blondies, SF; host/info: woodylauer-at-gmail-dot-com

3/4: Jody & the Roadies

3/11: Lonesome Still

3/18: High Water Line

3/25: Trouble Town

4/1: Hey Lonesome 

4/8: tba

4/15: Greg Blake

4/22: High Water Line

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; host/info: tedkuster-at-californiabluegrass-dot-net​

Tuesdays (7 pm): Hotel Utah, SF; host/info: woodylauer-at-gmail-dot-com

Second & Fourth Tuesdays (7 pm): Dublin Heritage Center Park (usually in the Old Schoolhouse), Dublin; host/info: bob-dot-gisler-at-icloud-dot-com

Fourth Tuesdays (6:30 pm): Baygrass Collective Bluegrass Jam - Cato's Ale House, 3891 Piedmont Ave., Oakland; host/info: cheney-dot-munson-at-gmail-dot-com

next jams: 3/26, 4/23, 5/28

Wednesdays (6:00 pm): East Bay Bluegrassers Jam - Rockin' Robbie's Music Store, 2nd Fl, 11231 San Pablo Ave, El Cerrito; host/info: eastbaybluegrassers-at-gmail-dot-com

Wednesdays (6:00 pm): Hop Jam - invitational jam at Hop Dogma Brewing Co., 270 Capistrano Rd., Half Moon Bay

3/6: Irish night

3/13: Dave Watson, Banjer Dan, Bruce Lacey, Ed Cirimele, Aaron Zorndorf

Third Wednesdays (6 pm): Grape Jam - invitational jam at Redwood Cafe, Cotati

Thursdays (5:30 pm): open jam, followed (at 7:00 pm) by invitational band - The Liberties, SF; host/info: woodylauer-at-gmail-dot-com

2/29: Ruby Davis and Eiljah Chen with Bay Area Special

3/7: Colectivo Calleson

3/14: Mission Hill

3/21: Solid Gold Stranger

3/28: Lonesome Still

Thursdays (7 pm): Java Jam - invitational jam at Los Gatos Coffee Roasting Company, 101 W Main St., LG

First Thursdays (7 pm): Marin Lutheran Church, 649 Meadowsweet Ave., Corte Madera; host/info: loew-at-comcast-dot-net

Second & Fourth Thursdays (7 pm): Sonoma Town Bluegrass Jam - Room 110, Sonoma Community Center; info: tedkuster-at-californiabluegrass-dot-net

hosted by Chandra Friese and CW Bayer

** Starting March 14th **

Second and Fourth Thursdays (6:00 pm): Old time music jam - Atlas Cafe, 3049 20th St. (at Alabama), SF; host/info: dzimej-at-gmail-dot-com

Fifth Thursdays (7 pm): Sonoma County Bluegrass Sessions: open jam with host band - Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma; info: tedkuster-at-californiabluegrass-dot-net

2/29: hosted by Patrick Campbell

Saturdays (5:30 pm): Taco Jam - invitational jam at Baja Taqueria, 4070 Piedmont Ave., Oakland

3/2: Betsy Maudlin, Larry Chung, Tom Sours, TJ Carskadon, Aaron Zorndorf

3/9: John McFarlane, Dan Norton, Bruce Lacey, Alan Bond, John Kornhauser

3/16: Betsy Maudlin, Silas Jude, Clare Simmons, Joe Kenny

3/23: Jim Mintun, Larry Chung, Mary Gibbons, Rowan McCallister, Avram Frankel

3/30 (benefit for JamBot expenses): Tom Bekeny, Larry Cohea, Amy Stenberg, Alan Bond, Larry Chung

Second Saturdays (11 am): Lucas Valley Old Time Jam - Rotary Village Community Center, San Rafael; everevolving-at-earthlink-dot-net

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

** Starting March 9th **

Second Sundays (1 pm): Barbary Bluegrass jam - Belle Cora, 565 Green St., SF; host/info: inakabee-at-gmail-dot-com

Second Saturdays (4 pm): Baygrass Collective Bluegrass Jam - Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley

next jams: 3/9, 4/13, 5/11

Third Saturdays (noon): Americana slow jam - Liberties Bar, 998 Guerrero St., SF; deirdre-dot-cassandra.music-at-gmail-dot-com​

<><><><><><><><><><>

​

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.com



INSTRUCTION

Go HERE to read j poet's piece about Manning Music

IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION

The next session of in-person Freight & Salvage classes begins the week of March 4th, ends the week of April 7th, and includes:

Tuesday

7:00 pm: Beginning Fiddle II: Tunes to Build Technique w/ Eric Hoffman

8:30 pm: Easy Tune Fiddle Repertoire: Moving to the Next Level w/ Erik Hoffman

8:30 pm: Bluegrass Jam w/ Olvier Zyngier

Wednesday

5:30 pm: Introduction to Mountain Dulcimer w/ DJ Hamouris; NOTE: first class is 3/13, final class is 4/17

7:00 pm: Mountain Dulcimer II w/ DJ Hamouris

Thursday

7:00 pm: Rhythm Guitar Basics w/ Richard Brandenburg

8:30 pm: Easy Jam Repertoire w/ Richard Brandenburg

March 10 - April 21 (Sundays, 1-5 pm): Wernick Method Bluegrass Jam Class taught by Erik Yates - Glenview neighborhood of Oakland

March 23 (11 am): Singing Arts Workshop with Keith Little and Michaela Mae - Out West Garage; info/registration: bkbugaj-at-aol-dotcom 

​

ONLINE INSTRUCTION

The next session of online Freight & Salvage classes begins the week of March 4th, ends the week of April 7th, and includes:

Monday

8:00 pm: Fiddle Repertoire with a Little Bit of Theory w/ Erik Hoffman

Tuesday

5:30 pm: Rank Beginner Clawhammer Banjo w/ Evie Ladin

7:00 pm: Clawhammer Banjo Repertoire & Technique w/ Evie Ladin

7:00 pm: Rhythm Guitar Basics w/ Richard Brandenburg

8:30 pm: Easy Jam Repertoire w/ Richard Brandenburg

Mon. & Wed.: Fiddles at Four w/ Suzy Thompson

​4/17, 4/19, 4/24, 4/26: more tunes from John Dykes





<><><><><><>

Bay Area instructors include:

• Richard Brandenburg; richard brandenburg-at-gmail-dot-com 
• Evie Ladin; evie-at-evieladin-dot-com
• Avram Siegel; avramsiegel-at-comcast-dot-net
• Eric Thompson; eric-at-ericandsuzy-dot-com 
• Suzy Thompson; suzy-at-ericandsuzy-dot-com 
• Jack Tuttle; jack-at-jacktuttle-dot-com
• Manning Music

Instructors: Chad Manning, Catherine Manning, Robin Fischer, Rowan McCallister, Leah Wollenberg, Yoseff Tucker, Arvram Siegel, Jasper Manning, Morgan Balfour

​

CBA music teacher directory

​MUSIC CAMPS

April 11-14: Walker Creek Music Camp (between Marshall & Petaluma)

Featuring members of the Kathy Kallick Band and The Slocan Ramblers plus an Irish music track; instructors include: Annie Staninec (Bluegrass Jam Class) • Larry Chung (Bluegrass Rhythm Guitar & More) • Jimmy Triplett (Old Time String Band) • Darryl Poulsen (Bluegrass Flatpicking Guitar) • Frank Evans (Bluegrass Banjo) • Eamon O’Leary (Irish Guitar) • Steve Baughman (Clawhammer Banjo) • Adrian Gross (Bluegrass Mandolin) • Dave Cory (Irish Tenor Banjo) • Marla Fibish (Irish Mandolin) • Cary Black (Bass) • Kathy Kallick & Greg Blake (Vocal Harmony) • Greg Booth (Dobro) • Michael Black (Vocals Irish) • Natalie Padilla (Old Time, Bluegrass Fiddle) • Rebecca Stout (Dance/Old Time String Band) • Liz Knowles (Irish Fiddle) •  Krishna Feeney (Music & More! – Children’s Program)

May 1-5: Julian Family Fiddle Camp - Whispering Winds Camp, Julian

Instructors include: BB Bowness (Banjo) * Mike Compton (Mandolin) * Nat Copeland (Beginner-mediate Fiddle) * Joseph Decosimo (Clawhammer Banjo) * Grant Gordy (Guitar Soloing) * Karen Celia Heil (Old-Time Fiddle) * Carolyn Kendrick (Beginner-mediate Fiddle) * Kimber Ludiker (Bluegrass/Texas-Style Fiddle) * Joe Newberry (Guitar) * Rachael Price (Vocals) * Luke Price (Artist at Large) * Vickie Vaughn (Bass) * Nina Weisman (Mandolin)

June 9-12: CBA Music Camp - Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley

Instructors: Jesse Appelman * Hasee Ciaccio * Masha Goodman Crawford & Geff Crawford * Nokosee Fields * Robin Fischer * ​Brandon Godman * Ryan Harlin * Laurie Lewis * Keith Little * Gabrielle Macrae * John Reischman * Kathleen Rushing and Ruth Duterte * Patrick Sauber * Barry Southern * Annie Staninec * Yoseff Tucker * Jack Tuttle * Trey Wellington * Eli West * Mike Witcher

June 13-16: CBA Youth Academy - Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley

A four-day music camp for 8 to 16-year-olds held during the CBA Father’s Day Festival

July 8-21: California Coast Music Camp - retreat location in Monterey County, ~ 1.5 hr. south of San Jose

- Week 1 (7/8-14) instructors include Katie Glassman, Chris Grampp, Coty Hogue, Ed Johnson, Adam Kulakow, Cindy Browne Rosefield, Ethan Setiawan, Cyd Smith, Olivier Zyngier

- Week 2 (7/15-21) instructors include Nova Karina Devonie, Nina Gerber, Sylvia Herold, David Keenan, Adam Levy, Carol McComb, Greg Schochet, Leah Wollenberg, Radim Zenkl

July 14-20: West Marin Fiddle Camp - Bolinas, CA

Instructors include: Riley Baugus, Peter Rowan, Cedric Watson, Nokosee Fields, Vivian Leva, Riley Calcagno, Rainy Miatke, Josh Rilko (of Sierra Ferrell), Oliver Bates Craven (of Sierra Ferrell)

July 27 - Aug. 23: Puget Sound Guitar Workshop - Bremerton, WA

- Session 1 (7/27 - 8/2) instructors include Laurel Bliss, Wayne Henderson, Devin Champlin, Kenny Feinstein, McKain Lakey, Nova Karina Devonie, Ethan Setiawan

- Session 2 (8/3-9) instructors include Jere & Greg Canote, Cara Luft, John Miller, Chris Grampp, Cindy Browne Rosefield, Mike Wollenberg, Kat Bula, Patrice Haan, Tony Marcus

- Session 3 (8/10-16) instructors include Sally Van Meter, Carol McComb, Adam Levy, Nina Gerber, Tom Moran, Coty Hogue

- Session 4 (8/17-23) instructors include Kathy Kallick, Cary Black, Paul Elliott, Orville Johnson, Steve Baughman, Marla Fibish, Roger Ferguson, Adam Roszkwiecz (Roscoe)

RADIO SHOWS

Bluegrass Signal is broadcast on Saturdays, 4:00 - 5:30 pm (Pacific) on KALW (91.7 FM in Bay Area). It is then archived for one week HERE.

March 2: Happy (Belated) Birthday, John Reischman!

Leah Wollenberg presents an overview of the great mandolinist's recordings.

March 9: Hicks With Sticks

Jose Segue surveys all things twang.

March 16: Spring Membership Campaign

Your chance to support your fave music on Your Local Public Radio ... HERE

March 23: Be Proud Of the Grey In Your Hair

Happy birthday to PT and several others with some bluegrass songs about aging plus a variety of releases from 1946 (78 years ago) and releases on 78s.

March 30: All Kinds Of Country

Sully picks 'em and plays 'em.

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). 

Feb. 26 - March 16: Across the Tracks

New releases & reissues.

March 18-23: Happy (Belated) Birthday, John Reischman!

Leah Wollenberg presents an overview of the great mandolinist's recordings.

March 25-30: Be Proud Of the Grey In Your Hair

Bluegrass reflections on aging, birthday celebrations, and releases on 78s.

April 1-6: All Kinds Of Country

Sully's blend of bluegrass, old time, classic country, blues, and what-have-you.

Bluegrass Signal PLAYLISTS

Please visit the Bluegrass Signal web site for the the January and February, 2024, playlists -- and all the others!



Anonymous Donor Enters into Agreement with CBA Lending Library,

The Mandolin Store, and Eastman Mandolins

by Mandolin Cafe; published on Jan-25-2024

An anonymous donor and long-time member of the Mandolin Cafe Community has entered into an agreement with the California Bluegrass Association Kids Instrument Lending Program to make quarterly donations (and sometimes more often) of instruments and accessories matching their needs.

The donor, working cooperatively with The Mandolin Store and Eastman Mandolins has procured an Eastman MD315 F-style mandolin (retail price $919) as the first donated instrument.

CBA Lending Program Director Sharon Khadder told us, "With bluegrass being the primary focus of our program, F-style mandolins are always in high demand. Our donor is working cooperatively with The Mandolin Store and Eastman, and their collective support is a true blessing. The donor also expressed an interest in obtaining a mandola and mandocello or octave mandolin in the future. With the diversity of interests of the young musicians we support, we applaud this."

Zach Vance of The Mandolin Store added, "This is a super cool project we're totally behind. When we were packing up the mandolin to ship it yesterday, we included some gig bags, polish cloths, mandolin straps, picks, and some miscellaneous strings. We're proud to be a part of this ongoing collaboration."

Donating and Borrowing from the Lending Library

Donations are always welcome and, of course, essential. Donations of instruments or accessories are tax deductible because of our 501(c)3 status. We will send a letter of acknowledgement, but setting an estimated value of the donation is the responsibility of the donor. 

Cash donations will be used towards buying instruments and accessories.

Requirements for borrowing an instrument are few: parents must be a current CBA member and must arrange for pickup with our librarian. We encourage the child with the instrument to attend one of our festivals each year and check in with us to see if the instrument is still in good playing condition and is being used. Many families check out a number of instruments until they find the instrument their child wants to play.

Contact for Lending Library librarian Sharon Khadder:

instruments-at-californiabluegrass-dot-net

• More information about the CBA’s Instrument Lending Program HERE

• More information about CBA’s Youth Programs HERE

• More information about ways to support the California Bluegrass Assn HERE

The Black Banjo & Fiddle Fellowship (BBFF) is a collaboration between the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music and the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention. The BBFF project aims to repatriate old-time music in African American communities and illuminate the Black experience in creating old-time music. BBFF is a two-year paid fellowship program that trains Black musicians in old-time music and its rich history. To repair the historical and cultural ruptures that erased the Black origins of banjo and fiddle music and to ensure that the tradition is sustained in Black communities, the BBFF is also a teacher-training program. It will train apprentices to teach the music, ensuring that it can be passed down from generation to generation. 

“The Black Banjo and Fiddle Fellowship is a missing link in the propagation of the influence of the African American role in the development of American music. The African American experience touches every genre of music created in America … and it is important that the knowledge of this fact be cultivated in the African American musical community.”

- Dom Flemons, The American Songster; co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops