Wintergrass 2010 Performer-Sarah Jarosz

Sarah Jarosz will be performing at Wintergrass 2010 in one of her few west coast concerts scheduled for 2010. Sarah is studying at the New England Conservatory (of which Crooked Still’s Aoife O’Donovan is an alumni) so she did need to slow down for a bit. She has taken the time to release her Sugar Hill cd “Song Up in Her Head’’. This cd features her blend of old time, bluegrass and contemporary music on 11 originals and two covers.The CD was  ranked number 17 on Amazon’s Top 100 CD’s of 2009. A Sarah Jarosz set features her originals on banjo and mandolin yet she will also cover a few contemporary songs by performers like Gnarls Barkley,Tom Waits or The Decemberists  in her own style. The Boston Globe just published a great article on Sarah that you can read at this link.

Another Wintergrass Neighbor-Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art

For those of you looking for something to do in addition to the music at Wintergrass there is a world class doll museum just a few blocks away from the Bellevue Hyatt. Since 1992 the Rosalie Whyel Museum of Doll Art has been in Bellevue. They were the recipients of the Juneau Trophy for the Best Private Doll Museum in the World.This museum features over 1,200 dolls on permanent display. Items included in the museum are dolls,teddy bears, dollhouses and miniatures. Of course the museum has a store which you can also see online at their website. Check out the website for more information on the museum.

Wintergrass 2010 Performers-The Wilders

Kansas City’s old time acoustic hillbilly country band The Wilders will be playing Wintergrass 2010. A performance of The Wilders always features Betse’s hoedown fiddle playing, 40’s and 50’s style country, Phil’s dobro played in the old time style. You can almost guarantee to hear an old Hank Williams song or two sung by Ike while playing his late grandfathers old 1950’s black with a tan sunburst Silvertone Archtop purchased right out of the Sears-Roebuck catalog. Nate’s bass playing pushes them all along into one big sound coming from a band that can play the old style country right. You know the band is the real deal when they were awarded the Nashville Scene’s “Best of 2006 Albums too Country for Country Radio” for their album “Throw Down”.                

Ike Sheldon (lead vocals, guitar), Betse Ellis (fiddle, vocals), Phil Wade (dobro, mandolin, banjo, vocals), and Nate Gawron (string bass, vocals).

Wintergrass 2010 Performers-Jo Miller & Her Burly Roughnecks

Jo Miller and Her Burly Roughnecks are one of those bands that Wintergrass 2010 will be providing a bit of contrast to the bluegrass bands. The Burly Roughnecks lean to the traditional country honky-tonk and western swing styles of music. Led by vocalist Jo Miller features David Keenan’s  lead guitar playing (David is also going to be playing banjo with Downtown Mountain Boys), Nova Devonie on accordian & vocals, Corey Kaiser – bass & vocals CT – drums. A Burly Roughneck set is always fun with great singing and lyrics to go with country dance beats. You might recognize Jo,David and Nova from their years playing with Seattle based Ranch Romance.

Check out their website for some audio clips.

Wintergrass Fall 2009 Newsletter

Autumn Greetings! The wind is howling through the trees outside my window and a mass of golden, crimson, and cinnamon colored leaves make it hard to tell where the driveway ends and the road begins. The season has changed with the clock and I’m sure I can hear mandolins in the pumpkin patch. Every time we visit the Koa wood wall at the Hyatt we feel one day closer to the big, bluegrassy, beautiful blowout that is Wintergrass. The lineup has grown since the last newsletter. Take a moment to scroll through the list of 2010 Wintergrass artists. Visit familiar names and explore the ones you don’t know yet. The Wintergrass schedule will be posted on our website by the end of the first week in November. That’s right – the schedule in November! Yikes, that’s a change too! We know you’re busy so we’ll keep it short this month. Read on for some quick reminders about Wintergrass 2010.

 

	by Maria Camillo Learn! The One-Day Intensive Wintergrass Academy is Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010 and features lead guitar with Kenny Smith (Kenny & Amanda Smith Band), rhythm guitar with Dudley Connell (Seldom Scene), and banjo with Sammy Shelor (Lonesome River Band). Register online here.   The D’Addario Wintergrass Youth Academy is Thursday and Friday, Feb. 25-26, 2010 from 9am to 4pm. Geared for youth ages 7 to 14 the Youth Academy is a great place for beginner to intermediate young players to experience the joy of learning to play bluegrass instruments in a safe and unbelievably fun environment. Master teachers Joe Craven, Beth Fortune and Renata Bratt and joined by a staff of great teachers, including alumni of the Youth Academy. Find out more about the Youth Academy here. Already a musician, but not quite sure how to ‘get off the page’? You can play all of the Bach suites, but run from the room like your hair was on fire if you have to jam or improvise. What are all those pickers doing in the hallway all night long and how do they know that many tunes without looking at written music? Join clinician Renata Bratt and Brittany Haas (Crooked Still) for the second-ever Wintergrass Music for String Orchestra on Thursday night from 5 to 8pm. We’ll read through some bluegrass and Americana arrangements and then take the paper away… Speaking of workshops, there will be plenty! We’ll start things off with several Thursday night workshops, then pack all day Friday and all morning Saturday with workshops from your favorite Wintergrass performers. All festival workshops (not including the two Academies and the String Orchestra session) are included in the price of your Wintergrass ticket.

 

	Sleep and Eat We know you don’t come to Wintergrass to do either of these things, but just in case you need a place to lay your head from time to time, enjoy a cozy stay at the Hyatt Regency. Rooms are $109 per night (double occupancy) with the purchase of a Wintergrass ticket. There is a 3 night minimum to get this rate. Rooms are going very fast, so get one while you can. To book your room at the Wintergrass rate, please click here. If you haven’t yet purchased a Wintergrass ticket, please go here first. You’ll be directed right to the Hyatt room reservation page when your ticket purchase is complete. The Hyatt Regency is located at 900 Bellevue Way NE. PS- have we mentioned the 7000 sq ft Stay Fit gym at the Hyatt complete with a 25 meter heated lap pool? It’ll even be open. Just sayin’… There are close to a zillion places to eat in downtown Bellevue. You can find breakfast at 6am and eat your way through some fantastic places all the way til 1am if you like. There are also other nearby welcoming hotels. To find everything you need to know about restaurants and alternate accommodations please click here. RV Parking is also available at Trailers Inns RV Park for $45 per night. The park is 5 miles from the hotel. What if you are not staying in Bellevue? There are ways to get to Bellevue and leave your car at home. Check out the Sound Transit website and plot your route. You want to end up at the Bellevue Transit Center, which is a few blocks from the Hyatt. There is a very nice, very safe walking route from the Transit Center to the hotel.

 

	Volunteer Wintergrass volunteers are the best people on earth. Volunteer coordinators Sharon and Terry Alford are accepting applications now. Wintergrass volunteers are asked to work 12 hours over the course of the 4 day festival in exchange for a full weekend pass and Hospitality privileges. If you’re interested in one of these coveted slots, please sign up here. Volunteer positions fill up fast, so don’t wait to sign up! Thank you.

Wintergrass 2010 Performers-The Steep Canyon Rangers

The Steep Canyon Rangers having a busy fall season-touring as Steve Martins band with whom they also  performed on The View,David Letterman, on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited’s November issue and preparing for a tour of Germany. The band was nominated 2 International Bluegrass Music awards in 2008 (including Album of the Year, ”Lovin’ Pretty Women), the Rangers were named ’Emerging Artist of the Year’ in 2006 at the IBMA awards ceremony in Nashville, TN. Fiddle fans who love the hard driving fiddle style of fiddlers in the Scotty Stoneman style will love Nicky Sanders. Even with the hard driving fiddle and banjo they also can turn around and play some great slow numbers to show off their great harmonies featuring all of the members. They have perfected the art of band dynamics. No longer the “Emerging Artist” we are sure you will agree after seeing them that they have arrived. Take a look at their website for some great video clips about their band. They will be appearing at Wintergrass 2010 on Friday only this year.

Woody Platt (guitar and lead vocals), Graham Sharp (banjo, harmony vocals), Mike Guggino (mandolin and harmony vocals), Charles R. Humphrey III (bass and harmony vocals) and Nicky Sanders (fiddle and harmony vocals)

 

Wintergrass 2010-Some Bands Added

Multi-instrumentalist Joe Craven who is a fixture with the Youth Academy will also be performing a set this year on Saturday. Jo Miller & Her Burly Roughnecks will be playing their western-western swing style roots music on Friday, The Rockin’ Acoustic Circus are scheduled for Thursday and Friday playing some great acoustic music featuring some amazing award winning instrumentalists. Keep an eye on the blog for more info on these bands and the rest of the lineup.

Wintergrass 2010-Free Parking

There are 5 levels of parking below Bellevue Place, which is the complex where the Hyatt is located. There are over 1000 parking spots there. Those lots are connected directly to additional lots below Lincoln Place, right across the street. If you are staying at the hotel, you will have FREE PARKING. If you are attending Wintergrass and you  park at any time during the day and leave after 8pm, parking is also FREE. The gate goes up at 8pm. If you leave BEFORE 8PM, there are parking charges, but there are a bunch of ways to get parking  validation – at any number of restaurants or shops. In addition to all that parking, there is a huge amount of space available across the street at Bellevue Square.  All of that parking is free but alittle bit of a walk but not that far. You can see where all of the parking lots are by taking a look at the complex map.

Mountain Heart and NASCAR Oct 25th 2009

Mountain Heart brings its pure sound to Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA.

Mountain Heart, the band that figured a way to combine bluegrass, rock, blues and jazz, will bring its amazing vocals to Martinsville Speedway to perform the National Anthem before the running of the TUMS Fast Relief 500 on October 25.

Mountain Heart is accustomed to large stages; the group has appeared on the Grand Ole Opry over 100 times and performed with acts ranging from Brad Paisley to Lynyrd Sknyrd to Montgomery Gentry to Alison Kraus.

In the decade since the group assembled, Mountain Heart, or members of the band, have either won or been nominated for multiple Grammys, ACM, CMA and IBMA awards.

The band’s musical ability and high energy produces a unique sound and stage show, which appeals to a wide variety of fans, in the United States and abroad.

Mountain Heart’s appearance at Martinsville Speedway will be a homecoming for the band’s young lead singer, Josh Shilling.

The 24-year-old Shilling grew up almost in the shadow of Martinsville Speedway, attended local schools and still calls the area home, despite living in Nashville.

Shilling graduated from high school a year early at 17 so he could hit the road as a professional musician. He performed with nationally-known groups in wide-ranging types of music from rock to beach to funk before settling in as Mountain Heart’s lead singer in 2007.

After his debut performance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry with Mountain Heart, he received a standing ovation, a rare accolade at the Opry, especially for a newcomer.

Tickets for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 on Sunday, October 25, the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on Saturday, October 24 and the Farm Bureau Insurance Pole Day on Friday, October 23 are on sale and can be purchased by calling 1.877.RACE.TIX or by visiting www.martinsvillespeedway.com.

Ticket prices range from $25 to $77 for the TUMS Fast Relief 500.

Jamming!!

Just a reminder for you to bring your instruments or pick up a new one at Wintergrass 2010. Plenty of dedicated jamming space, picking floors, 24 hours of jamming!! Workshops to perfect your picking. Then when you are ready to see your fave’s on stage Wintergrass will have an instrument check so you don’t have to carry the instruments back to your room.