Wintergrass 2013 Parking Information

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.

The Wintergrass 2013 Performance Schedule

Here is the link to the Wintergrass 2013 performance schedule http://www.acousticsound.org/  The Workshop schedule will be posted as soon as possible. It takes alittle longer since we have to work around all of the performers arrival and performance schedules.

Relix Magazine 2013 Wintergrass Ticket Giveaway!!

Relix magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concerts. It rapidly expanded into a music magazine covering a wide amount of artists^. It is the second-longest continuously published music magazine in the United States after Rolling Stone.  Take a look around their website after entering the Wintergrass 2013 Free Pair of Tickets giveaway.

 

http://www.relix.com/contests/2013/01/15/win-a-pair-of-weekend-passes-to-wintergrass

Wintergrass 2012 Performers-The Cleverly’s

 

Nashville’s The Cleverly’s are alittle different than most of the bands that have appeared at Wintergrass. Best way to get an intro to them is just take alook at their website. Take alook at a few of their videos and you will see a variety of songs and a couple of introduction videos. This is the short bio on Cleverlys:

Our family comes from the remote part of the Ozark Mountains, near Cane Spur, Arkansas. We spent our days working on the family farm mostly raising our own food and growing dad’s famous pipe tobacco. I guess he grew the best pipe tobacco around. People came from as far as Big Flat to get it. We worked hard but we had fun. In the evening we played and sang. On weekends we had pickens’. There was always a big crowd around. The Cleverly Trio is our family band. It was founded by dad and his three brothers, Turk, Tink and Bunyon. The whole family at one time or another has played in the band. Since 2005 my brother Digger has taken over the band. The current members of the trio are Digger, our brothers Miles and Vernon Dean, my boy Harvey D and our cousin Otto.

 

Wintergrass 2013 Performers-The Paperboys

The Paperboys were formed by Mexican born, Tom Landa in the mid nineties in Vancouver. In a music scene dominated by flannel and grunge, Tom had a vision of forming a band that fused Folk, Celtic and Bluegrass music with Pop and Rock. He was armed with a dozen of self penned tunes and a lot of drive and ambition.  After finding a group of musicians who shared common musical interests, they recorded their 1st CD and set to tour across Canada in a used van they bought for 500 bucks. What has happened since is 7 albums, countless tours of North America and Europe, TV and Movie appearances, Movie Scores, Industry Accolades, Rave Reviews by Press &  Media, and several Music awards including Canada’s version of The Grammy’s, The JUNO Award.

Mexican Son Jarocho mixed in with Irish Jigs and Reels and a good dose of Country and Bluegrass. It has healthy servings of Ska, Soca and African Highlife and we’ve been known to throw in a little White Boy Reggae. Of course it also has strains of Soul, Pop and Funk although we are by no means a funk band. It is mostly Acoustic although we also like Electric guitars.

The band’s latest CD, Callithump, is a perfect marriage of all the different styles The Paperboys play. Producer Joby Baker captured the essence and the energy of the band in a way not done before. The infectious hooks of the horns blended with the lyrical sounds of the fiddle and flute make for a melodic delight, while the influence of Latin and African rhythms make the groove on this album truly dance worthy.

The Paperboys are Seattle area favorites with some stellar performances at their club appearances as often as they can at both the Triple Door and The Tractor Tavern.

Tom Landa (Founder): Guitar, Jarana, Vocals, Piano, Bass – Geoffrey Kelly: Flute, Whistles, Bass, Percussion-Sam Esecson: Drums, Percussion-Kalissa Hernandez: Fiddle-Brad Gillard: Banjo, Bass-Nick La Riviere: Trombone, Bass-Kareem Kandi: Saxophone-Miguelito Valdes: Trumpet, Congas, Percussion-Greg Lyons: Trumpet

 

Wintergrass 2013 Performers-Sarah Jarosz

Americana musician Sarah Jarosz returns to Wintergrass 2013 performing as a trio with fiddler Alex Hargreaves and cellist Nathaniel Smith. Sarah sings her own songs and arrangements of songs from a variety of genres including traditional folk songs and contemporary rock and pop songs. The instrumental side of the trio features Sarahs’ mandolin, octave mandolin, clawhammer banjo and guitar as well as Alex and Nathaniel.

In the two years since Jarosz’s first album “Song Up in Your Head” came out, the wider world has discovered what plenty of old-time and bluegrass luminaries and festival-going fans already knew—that she is a formidable talent. There have been GRAMMY and Americana Music Award nominations, a trio of Austin Music Awards, invitations to perform on “Austin City Limits” and “A Prairie Home Companion” and at Bonnaroo, Newport and Telluride. Sarah has been included on The Transatlantic Series and here is a clip from her appearance.

Wintergrass 2012 Performers-Druha Trava

Formed 21 years ago   in the Czech Republic Druha Trava will be making their only 2012 performance in the US at Wintergrass 2012.  A discography of 23 projects by the band certainly will give this band a great repetoire of originals,bluegrass standards sung in English and Czech. The bands most recent release “Shuttle to Bethlehem” was  recorded in Nashville and Prague, Shuttle to Bethlehem is Druha Trava´s first ever recording whose main focus is definitive English versions of singer-songwriter Robert Krestan´s iconic songs. Ranging from the intensely intimate to the anthemic, they evoke love and longing, death and desire as they tell strange tales and recount # haunting new legends. The translations are fruit of a collaboration between Krestan and the award-winning American writer Ruth Ellen Gruber. Shuttle to Bethlehem includes seven of Druha Trava´s best-known tracks. Added to them are new Czech versions of two of the Bob Dylan songs on DT´s 2007 Dylanovky CD, as well as a bluegrassy take on the Rolling Stones´ “Jumpin´ Jack Flash” and a Celtic-inspired instrumental, “May Morning Dew/Tribute to Peadar O´Donnell,” featuring Lubos Malina on low whistle.

Singer and writer Robert Krestan (1991-present) has been recognized with numerous honors in his home country in both bluegrass and country music. He has been “Male Vocalist of the Year” at the Banjo Jamboree Festival numerous times and has been awarded “Country Artist of the Year” by the Czech Music Academy on several occasions.

In 1992, Lubos Malina (1991-present) was named overall “Best Banjo Player” at the 20 plus year old Banjo Jamboree Festival. This was after being voted “Banjo Player of the Year” annually since 1986. Along with Robert Krestan, he recorded six albums with the band Poutnici. Both in 1989 and 1990, Poutnici received the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music award for Best Non-American Recording of the Year.

With a long history in the folk band Duo Cis as well as with the legendary Czech newgrass group Prudusky, Lubos Novotny (1991-present) plays dobro. (The Dobro was actually invented by a Slovak family, the Dopyeras.) He has been named “Dobro Player of the Year” from 1992 until 1997 by the Banjo Jamboree Festival as well by the Slovak Association of Country Music in 1992 and 1993.

Emil Formanek (2004-present) lives in Bratislava, Slovak Republic and the band has known him for 15 years. He played guitar on Lubos Novotny’s first solo album and also on Lubos Malina’s first solo album. He is a past member of the bluegrass band Fragment and has been playing acoustic and electric guitar for the biggest country star in Slovakia, Alan Mikusek, since he left Fragment.

Tomas Liska (April 2010-present) is the newest member of Druha Trava and performs on bass. He began his career on bass-guitar in 1998, but continued studying over the next several years, studying at the Conservatorium of Jaroslav Jezek in Prague beginning in 2000. He soon became a presence on the local jazz scene, appearing with an array of musicians at the city’s most important jazz clubs and festivals.

 

Wintergrass 2012 Performers-Black Prairie

Portland based Black Prairie is headed to Wintergrass 2012 for just one night this year. Black Prairie has a blend of Americana,bluegrass and Eastern European sound.

The band began back in 2007 when The Decemberists‘ Chris Funk (dobro) and Nate Query (bass) had some time off from touring and decided to put together a side project. Other members of the band include The Decemberists’ accordion player Jenny Conlee, singer and violinist Annalisa Tornfelt of Bearfoot  and The Woolwines, and guitarist Jon Neufeld of Dolorean and Jackstraw. Annalisa has appeared at Wintergrass with Bearfoot and Jon has been with Jackstraw. This is a band that does not get around too often considering the popularity of the members main bands. Make sure you take alook at their website. Some great video clips on there including a very cool version of Red Rockin’ Chair. This is their first time at Wintergrass but if you have been and seen Annalisa and Jon you know that you will see some great music with this band.

The Sallal Grange & Wintergrass 2012 Scholarships for the Snoqualmie Valley

The Sallal Grange in North Bend, Washington will be giving two Wintergrass scholarships this year!!!

 1.     Teacher Workshop Scholarship plus weekend pass to Wintergrass (Value:  $175):  To be awarded to a deserving teacher or homeschooler who lives or teaches in the Snoqualmie Valley (defined as including Snoqualmie Pass, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Preston, Fall City, and Carnation areas). Applicants could also be a curriculum specialist, college professor teaching education or music, a college student studying education or a librarian.

2.     Wintergrass Youth Academy Scholarship plus weekend pass to Wintergrass (Value:  $120):  To be awarded to a deserving student in the 4^th to 8^th grades who lives in the Snoqualmie Valley (defined as including Snoqualmie Pass, North Bend, Snoqualmie, Preston, Fall City, and Carnation areas).

 Applicants must submit a short essay (no more than one page) on why they should be awarded the scholarship and how they will use this Wintergrass experience to benefit their students and/or the Snoqualmie Valley. They also need to include their name, address, phone, mobile phone, email and pertinent information (e.g. their position, where they teach, their background, etc.).  Although not required, a letter(s) of recommendation would be advisable.

Applications are to be sent to the Sallal Grange & Community Hall, PO Box 1688, North Bend, WA 98045 or emailed to info@sallalgrange.org. The application deadline is January 31, 2012.

The Sallal Grange & Community Hall recently celebrated eighty years of being a local resource and cornerstone for community fellowship and service. The Grange does various activities to benefit the community and local non-profit organizations such as the Mt. Si Food Bank in North Bend, the Mt. Si Community Center and the student/teacher music education, growth and learning.  The Grange also hosts a well-regarded open mic the first Friday of every month, with a communal potluck beforehand, and various concerts throughout the year. More information about the Sallal Grange & Community Hall is available on the web at:  www.SallalGrange.org .

 

Betse Ellis(fiddler for Wintergrass 2012 performers The Wilders), Seattle Workshops

Betse Ellis, fiddler for frequent Wintegrass performers The Wilders (Kansas
City, MO), conducts two workshops at Dusty Strings on Saturday, July 16.
The morning session from 10:30-12:30 will be a tune-learning workshop.
Betse will teach tunes from the Ozarks, from masters Bob Holt, Violet
Hensley, Cecil Goforth, and Hiter Covin.  The afternoon workshop from
1:30-3:30 is Betse’s unique “Help for Frustrated Fiddlers”.  She promises to
help you resolve issues with your playing by showing you specific practice
techniques.

More information at http://dustystrings.com/ and http://www.fiddlebetse.com

——

Workshops at Dusty Strings
Saturday, July 16
Betse Ellis (from The Wilders, Kansas City, MO)
http://www.fiddlebetse.com

Photo by Paul Andrews

Morning Session:
Ozark Fiddle Tunes
Sat., July 16, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., $35 ($60 for both of this
instructor¹s workshops).

Join Betse Ellis and learn traditional Ozark fiddle tunes in standard and
also cross-tuning (if participants are interested).  Explore tunes from the
playing of Ozark fiddlers such as Bob Holt, Violet Hensley, Cecil Goforth,
and Hiter Covin. You¹ll learn the tunes by ear and the bowings by sight and
spoken directions. This session will help you to make sense of some iconic
bowing patterns by breaking them down into components, and then putting them
into the context of a full tune. And you¹ll have fun doing it! Please bring
a recording device.

Afternoon Session:
Help for Frustrated Fiddlers
Sat., July 16, 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., $35 ($60 for both of this instructor’s
workshops).

Here’s a master class and support group all rolled into one. Bring your
fiddling problems to this session, and leave with real solutions to overcome
your individual playing issues.  Do you feel like you¹re working too hard on
playing double stops in tune, and you don¹t know why it¹s so hard?  Does
your right hand seize up when you start to play faster?  Want to know how
you can better remember bowings for tunes?  Come in with a question of your
own and Betse will show you how to turn your frustration into a success.
Bring a recording device.