Recognizing those in the bluegrass community who work diligently to promote the genre, award-winning bass player Missy Raines served as emcee for the 2023 IBMA Industry Awards, which was sponsored by the California Bluegrass Association and publishers of the “Bluegrass Breakdown” newsletter.
“I have come to every single IBMA event and this one is dear to my heart,” Raines said as she kicked off Thursday’s luncheon and awards ceremony at the Raleigh Convention Center.
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Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle to host this year’s show on September 28
From the good folks at the International Bluegrass Music Association: Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle have been announced as hosts for the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show, presented by Yamaha, on Thursday, Sept. 28 during the 2023 IBMA World of Bluegrass®.
Secor is the consummate entertainer: the merry ringmaster, mischievous busker, passionate professor, modern Beat, and unassuming virtuoso, all rolled into one. Ketch is best known as the founder and frontman of Old Crow Medicine Show, a two-time GRAMMY Award-winning juggernaut whose triumphs include induction into the Grand Ole Opry and double-platinum certification for their iconic hit single “Wagon Wheel.” The scope and potency of Ketch’s work has long since spilled over to include documentaries, writing and starring in variety shows, authoring a children’s book, composing a musical, and launching a school. His myriad projects also include serving as an advisor, historical consultant, and featured speaker in Ken Burns’ acclaimed 2019 documentary Country Music. “Whether I’m in front of an audience of concert-goers or a six-year-old, whether I’m using puppets or a banjo, I’m always trying to show people that they can be mesmerized by a story, by a person, by a character,” says Ketch. “By humanity, really. By one another.”
Jubilee, releasing August 25 via ATO Records, is a companion album to Old Crow Medicine Show’s critically-acclaimed 2022 release Paint This Town and marks the band’s 25-year anniversary. The album was co-produced with Matt Ross-Spang, and features several special guests including legendary soul singer Mavis Staples, singer/songwriter Sierra Ferrell, and Old Crow co-founder Willie Watson, who records with the band for the first time in over 10 years on their recent single “Miles Away.”
Since moving to Nashville in 2015, Tuttle has continued to receive widespread accolades, most recently earning seven 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards nominations: Entertainer of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year, Guitar Player of the Year, Album of the Year (Crooked Tree), Song of the Year (“Crooked Tree”), Instrumental Group of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year (“From My Mountain [Calling You]” with Peter Rowan and Lindsay Lou). Additionally, Tuttle also won Best Bluegrass Album at the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards earlier this year (Crooked Tree), Album of the Year at the 2023 International Folk Music Awards, IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year in 2022, Instrumentalist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Music Awards, and IBMA Guitar Player of the Year in both 2017 and 2018.
Tuttle’s new album, City of Gold, was released last month on Nonesuch Records to critical praise. Once again produced by Tuttle and Jerry Douglas, City of Gold was inspired by Tuttle’s constant touring with Golden Highway these past few years and follows her 2022 release of Crooked Tree.
“I’m thrilled Ketch and Molly will host this year’s Awards Show,” said Paul Schiminger, Interim Executive Director of IBMA. “They are sure to make the ‘Biggest Night in Bluegrass’ a memorable and entertaining night for everyone gathered to celebrate a terrific year in bluegrass music!”
Tickets available at worldofbluegrass.org
From the good folks at IBMA:
The Momentum Awards will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. (EST) at the IBMA World of Bluegrass Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. The IBMA Industry Awards will follow on Thursday, Setp. 28, at 11 a.m. (EST), and also includes the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Awards presentations. Both awards luncheons will feature music and memorable presentations to and by this year’s recipients.
IBMA Interim Executive Director Paul Schiminger says, “The IBMA’s Industry Awards and Momentum Awards are important to recognize the exceptional contributions by those who are dedicated to furthering bluegrass music behind the scenes and those who are successful rising stars in our music. I can’t wait for the luncheons in Raleigh to honor them all. Congratulations to these nominees who are lifting bluegrass music to new heights!”
IBMA INDUSTRY AWARDS
The Industry Awards recognize outstanding work in categories including Broadcaster of the Year, Event of the Year, Graphic Designer of the Year, Liner Notes of the Year, Writer of the Year, Sound Engineer of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year.
Nominees in each category are selected by specially appointed committees made up of bluegrass music professionals who possess significant knowledge of that field. The recipient of each award is decided on by the Panel of Electors, an anonymous group of veteran bluegrass music professionals selected by the IBMA Board of Directors.
2023 IBMA INDUSTRY AWARDS NOMINEES
WRITER OF THE YEAR
Chris Jones
Craig Havighurst
Garret K. Woodward
Gary Reid
Stacy Chandler
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Becky Buller
Jon Weisberger
Rick Faris
Thomm Jutz
Tim Stafford
SOUND ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Aubrey Shamel
Brad Benge
Dewey Boyd
Key Chang
Steve Chandler
BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Barb Heller
Brad Kolodner
Michelle Lee
Ned Luberecki
Peter Thompson
GRAPHIC DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Eric Barie
Gina Dilg
Grace van’t Hof
Pharis & Jason Romero
Tim Kapustka
LINER NOTES OF THE YEAR
Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium
Written by Ted Olson
Dom Flemons – Traveling Wildfire
Written by Dom Flemons
Jake Blount – The New Faith
Written by Jake Blount
Pharis & Jason Romero – Tell ‘em You Were Gold
Written by Pharis & Jason Romero
Sam Bush – Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford
Written by Sam Bush and Jon Weisberger
EVENT OF THE YEAR
Blue Highway Fest
Big Stone Gap, Virginia
Bluegrass in La Roche
La Roche-sur-Foron, France
Doc at 100
Various locations
Durango Bluegrass Meltdown
Durango, Colorado
Pickin’ in the Pines
Flagstaff, Arizona
IBMA MOMENTUM AWARDS
The Momentum Awards recognize both musicians and bluegrass industry professionals who, in the early stages of their careers, are making significant contributions to or are having a significant influence upon bluegrass music. These contributions can be to bluegrass music in general, or to a specific sector of the industry. The Mentor Award, in contrast to the other Momentum Awards, recognizes a bluegrass professional who has made a significant impact on the lives and careers of newcomers to the bluegrass industry.
Nominees are chosen through a multi-stage process by committees made up of respected musicians and industry leaders in the bluegrass world.
2023 IBMA MOMENTUM AWARDS NOMINEES
MOMENTUM BAND OF THE YEAR
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
The Fretliners
Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra
Never Come Down
MENTOR OF THE YEAR
Austin Scelzo
Dan Boner
Louisa Branscomb
Ruth McLain Smith
Scott Napier
INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Daniel Mullins
Katie Kirchner
Maggie Rainwater
Matt Hutchinson
Mike Kaiz
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Anthony Howell
Alex Genova
Gavin Largent
Jake Eddy
Josiah Nelson
Maddie Dalton
Michael Prewitt
VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Carley Arrowood
Crystal Lariza
Nick Dumas
Starlett Austin
Tianna Lefebvre
IBMA World of Bluegrass is the most important week in bluegrass! The week encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, September 26-28; the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases taking place September 26-28 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center; the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards scheduled for Thursday evening, September 28, and IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, September 29-30, a two-day festival. IBMA Bluegrass Live! features the best of the best in bluegrass today, benefiting the IBMA Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introducing the music to thousands of new fans every year. Tickets are now on sale for all IBMA World of Bluegrass events; visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.
About IBMA
IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.
From the good folks at the International World of Bluegrass (IBMA):
Organizers of this year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass, taking place Sept. 27-Oct. 1 in downtown Raleigh, N.C., have revealed the full lineup of artists and daily schedule of performances for IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC.
The weekend festival will offer both ticketed and free Main Stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater, and on five additional free StreetFest Stages in downtown Raleigh Friday, Sept. 30-Saturday, Oct. 1.
Main Stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater for this year’s festival will begin at 5 p.m. both days and will feature premier bluegrass acts for six hours each day.
Additionally:
● This year’s festival includes a curated Arts Market featuring makers from local partners Artsplosure and Black Friday Market.
● Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) will be back at the Martin Street stage, sponsored by Ron and Nancy McFarlane, for the first time in three years. This stage is a festival favorite and an excellent way to showcase these young musicians’ talent, passion and authentic connection to the music.
● The Come Hear NC Stage returns to the open space in front of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. New this year is a beer garden featuring craft beers, as well as games and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
“When the festival is in town every third person has a fiddle, guitar or banjo on their back. It’s one of the best times of the year in downtown Raleigh,” said David Brower, festival producer and Executive Director of PineCone, the Raleigh-based non-profit that produces the festival. “I’m especially excited about the Capitol Stage, which this year features Southern gospel traditions, including bluegrass, string band and quartet gospel from Eastern North Carolina. It will be a joyful sound on that end of downtown.”
For the 10th year, PNC Bank returns as the presenting sponsor of IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC. “As PNC commemorates 10 years of doing business in North Carolina, we can’t think of a better way to demonstrate our long-term commitment to the Triangle than by helping bring regionally meaningful live music to the streets of downtown Raleigh,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president for Eastern Carolinas. “This sponsorship represents one of the many ways PNC is supporting the community and driving economic impact locally.”
The schedule for the Main Stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater:
Friday, Sept. 30
5:00 p.m. Twisted Pine
6:00 p.m. Balsam Range
7:05 p.m. Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
8:10 p.m. Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
9:30 p.m. Jerry Douglas Band
Saturday, Oct. 1
5:00 p.m. Della Mae
6:00 p.m. Dan Tyminski
7:05 p.m. Dom Flemons & Shultz’s Dream, featuring: Brian Farrow, Dante Pope, Richard Brown
and Tray Wellington
8:10 p.m. Sierra Hull
9:30 p.m. Infamous Stringdusters
Friday, Sept. 30 StreetFest Schedule:
Come Hear NC Stage (located on the flat parking lot in front of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts)
Buffalo Commons
Jim Lauderdale
Dewey & Leslie Brown and the Carolina Gentlemen
Sister Sadie
California Bluegrass Reunion: Darrol Anger, Chad Manning, Jim Nunally, Bill Evans,
John Reischman, Sharon Gilchrist
Tray Wellington Band
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Della Mae
Davie Street Stage (located near the intersection of Davie and Fayetteville streets)
California Bluegrass Reunion: Darrol Anger, Chad Manning, Jim Nunally, Bill Evans,
John Reischman, Sharon Gilchrist
Steve Smith & Tim May
Stillhouse Junkies
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
Joe Newberry & Jim Collier
Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
Sister Sadie
Gangstagrass
The Sweet Lillies
Martin Street Stage (located on Martin Street between Fayetteville and Wilmington streets)
JAM curated bands
Twisted Pine
Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road
Slocan Ramblers
Capitol Stage (located on Fayetteville Street between Martin & Hargett streets)
Dedicated Men of Zion
Mountain Highway
Lorraine Jordan
Caleb Serrano
Alan Bibey & Grasstowne
Dedicated Men of Zion
City Plaza Youth Stage (located on Fayetteville Street across from the Marriott)
Kids on Bluegrass
Fair Black Rose
BJUgrass (Bob Jones University)
UNC Asheville Bluegrass Band
ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band
Denison University Bluegrass Ensemble
KSBTM Bluegrass Band (Hazard Community & Technical College)
Tigertown Roots (Clemson University)
Belmont University Bluegrass Ensemble
World of Bluegrass Open Bluegrass Jams
Dan Bui (Twisted Pine)
Gangstagrass
Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
Hank Pattie & The Current
Saturday, Oct. 1 StreetFest Schedule
Come Hear NC Stage (located on the flat parking lot in front of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts)
Rocky Creek Ramblers
Violet Bell
John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project: The Tour
Tray Wellington Band
Special Consensus
Unspoken Tradition
Sideline
Henhouse Prowlers
Gangstagrass
Davie Street Stage (located near the intersection of Davie and Fayetteville streets)
Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra
Fair Black Rose
East Nash Grass
Earl White String Band
Danny Paisley
Hank, Pattie & The Current
Missy Raines & Allegheny
Chris Jones & the Nightdrivers
Damn Tall Buildings
Martin Street Stage (located on Martin Street between Fayetteville and Wilmington streets)
JAM curated bands
Diamond Creek
Into the Fog
Buffalo Commons
Capitol Stage (located on Fayetteville Street between Martin & Hargett streets)
The Burnett Sisters
The Gospel Jubilators
Dave Adkins Band
The Glorifying Vines
The Cockman Family
Brother Jerry Harrison & Faith
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Faith & Harmony
City Plaza Youth Stage (located on Fayetteville Street across from the Marriott)
Kids on Bluegrass
UNC Bluegrass Band
Berea College
Colorado College
Berklee College of Music
Morehead State University
KSBTM Bluegrass Band (Hazard Community & Technical College)
Pellissippi State Community College
World of Bluegrass Open Bluegrass Jams (Market Plaza, Fayetteville St)
Earl White
Youth Jam with Fair Black Rose & The Loblollies
Tray Wellington
Hank, Pattie & The Current
All performers listed are subject to change. Updated artist information, as well as performance times and stages, will be posted in September at https://worldofbluegrass.org/festival Schedules will also be posted at each stage, and QR codes posted throughout the festival will allow festival-goers to access the full schedule and festival map on their phones. Participants who want a printed schedule are encouraged to print that ahead of time from the IBMA World of Bluegrass website.
Pat Morris, Executive Director of IBMA, offered additional comments on today’s schedule announcement: “What a great lineup for this year’s IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC. Music fans can enjoy great bluegrass from excellent musicians in a festive environment like no other. Come to Raleigh and surround yourself with the best fans in the world enjoying the best music in the world.”
A portion of the proceeds from IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC supports the IBMA Trust Fund, a 501(c)(3) that provides direct financial assistance to bluegrass artists and other industry professionals in times of emergency need. Since its creation in 1987, the Trust Fund has given more than $1,000,000 in direct aid. To meet the needs of the bluegrass community during the pandemic, the IBMA Trust Fund Board of Trustees established an account specifically for COVID-19 Relief.
Information about Red Hat Amphitheater ticketing, IBMA Bluegrass Ramble showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards tickets and hotel reservations are available at the IBMA World of Bluegrass website, WorldofBluegrass.org.
Additional sponsors who helped make this year’s festival and World of Bluegrass week events possible include Come Hear NC, Ron and Nancy McFarlane, JAM, Chevy, WRAL, Wegmans, Michelob Ultra, Wicked Weed, Stella Artois, Devil’s Backbone, Boone, WakeMed, Pepsi, Cheerwine, Nature’s Twist, Parker Poe, Bandwidth, NC Lotto, Chick-fil-A, RALIcares, Campbell University School of Law and others.
More info about IBMA World of Bluegrass and the IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC Festival
IBMA World of Bluegrass is the most important week in bluegrass. The week encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, Sept. 27-29; the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases taking place Sept. 27-29 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center; the 33rd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards scheduled for Thurs. evening, Sept. 29; and IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, Sept. 30-Oct. 1, a two-day festival. IBMA Bluegrass Live! features the best of the best in bluegrass today, benefiting the IBMA Trust Fund.
As in years past, events during World of Bluegrass will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater and at various venues in town.
Volunteer for Wide Open Bluegrass and other World of Bluegrass events: https://worldofbluegrass.org/participate/volunteer/
Learn more about accessibility efforts that are part of the whole World of Bluegrass: https://worldofbluegrass.org/accessibility/
IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.
PineCone is the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music. It is a Raleigh-based non-profit that serves as the official local host and festival producer for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass. It was founded in 1984 by a group of friends looking to preserve, present and promote music and dance that’s rooted in the Piedmont. PineCone hosts year-round events that highlight rich and diverse musical traditions that’ve been passed down informally for generations. There’s more about PineCone’s concerts, jam sessions, workshops, camps, youth programs and weekly radio show at Pinecone.org.
PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit http://www.pnc.com.
The City of Raleigh is the capital of North Carolina, home to several colleges and universities, with a vibrant performing arts community. Fueled by an impressive mix of education, ingenuity and collaboration, North Carolina’s capital city has become an internationally recognized leader in life science and technology innovation.
Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh)
As the official destination marketing organization for Wake County, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Raleigh), is responsible for promoting Wake County as an attractive travel destination and enhancing its public image as a dynamic place to live and work. Through the impact of travel, the organization strengthens the economic position of and provide opportunity for people throughout Wake County. Raleigh, N.C./Wake County welcomes nearly 13 million visitors annually whose spending tops $1.7 billion. The visitor economy supports more than 17,000 local jobs in Wake County and generates $186 million in state and local tax revenues, saving each Wake County household $470 in taxes annually. visitRaleigh.com
About Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex
The Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex encompasses four city-owned and managed facilities that bring together local residents, out-of-town visitors and a host of performing artists from around the country and the world.
In the heart of North Carolina’s vibrant capitol city, three of the four venues welcome some 1 million visitors to downtown Raleigh each year. The award-winning, 500,000-square-foot Raleigh Convention Center is a leader in innovation, sustainability and guest experience. Next door sits the city’s signature open-air music venue, the Red Hat Amphitheater, with 6,000 seats and a buzzworthy schedule of musical performances.
A short walk away, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts offers four unique theaters, seating from 150 to 2,369, and is home to resident companies Carolina Ballet, North Carolina Theatre, North Carolina Symphony, North Carolina Opera and PineCone. Beyond Downtown Raleigh, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek boasts a 20,000-person capacity amphitheater on 77 rolling green acres and regularly packs the house with big-name acts.www.raleighconvention.com/complex
Scythian features tunes with gypsy, Celtic, bluegrass and Americana influences just in time to provide an appropriate warm up for St. Patrick’s Day. The band’s entertaining stage presence, band camaraderie and audience interaction captivates from the first note. Powerful vocals, fiddle, guitar, accordion, upright bass, drums are just a taste of the myriad instruments the quartet brings to its raucous stage causing iHeart Radio to state, “Scythian has reinvented folk rock in America.” And The Washington Post has called Scythian, “Washington D.C.’s most energetic and eclectic band.”
Fresh off the release of their latest single, International Bluegrass Music Association’s award-winning The Barefoot Movement will bring their heartfelt, energetic and down home holiday celebration at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, to the Cary Arts Center.
Complete with all of your classic seasonal favorites wrapped in a Christmas package, you’ll hear acoustic renditions of everything from Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph” to Perry Como’s “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas” and emotional takes on the more tender songs of the season like “Oh Holy Night” and “Hark The Herald Angels Sing,” according to a press release.
“Surrounded by stories and Christmas memories from the band, the music and cheer will fill you with an enduring feeling of love and hope that will warm your heart throughout the year!”
For more information, http://www.townofcary.org (Search: Marvelous Music) or (919) 462-2055.
Halloween may be over but fans of Americana music are in for a special treat as two talented duos — Violet Bell and Zoe & Cloyd — hit the stage at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at the Cary Arts Center.
I first had the pleasure of hearing Violet Bell perform its original Americana tunes woven from threads of folk, soul, bluegrass, psychedelic and classical music at Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival. On stage and in the studio, the energy and chemistry between Lizzy Ross and Omar Ruiz-Lopez is fiery, intimate and intuitive. Learn more at www.lizzy.net
Zoe & Cloyd, who I first discovered at MerleFest, is made up of renowned fiddler and vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist John Cloyd Miller. Together, they delight audiences with soaring harmonies and heartfelt songwriting, seamlessly combining original folk, country, old-time and bluegrass with sincerity and zeal.
Zoe and Cloyd recently released their third album, “I Am Your Neighbor,” on Friday, Sept. 27, on Organic Records during the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) annual event in downtown Raleigh.
Learn more at www.zoeandcloyd.com
Tickets start at $23 and can be purchased online at ETix.
For more information, call (919) 462-2055 or visit Marvelous Music Series.
Douglas continued, “Little did I know that later in life he would be my friend.A s far as I’m concerned this festival named in his honor is far overdue. But I also believe that’s the way Earl would want it to be. We can only hope that we can make him proud in how we perceive his legacy to the world.”
Douglas, who started his group the Earls of Leicester as a tribute to Scruggs, will act as musician in resident for the festival.
Few other artists in American history have had such an impact as Scruggs, according to a festival press release. His work in 1946/47 with Bill Monroe & the Blue Grass Boys and later with Flatt and Scruggs helped create an entire genre of music. His banjo playing was so fresh and different for the time that it was christened the “Scruggs style” of banjo and is still the most prominent banjo performance style in the world.
“Earl was my uncle, so I knew him a long time,” says JT Scruggs, a board member of the Earl Scruggs Center. “The first Earl Scruggs Music Festival presents an opportunity to bring exposure and new visitors to the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, North Carolina. The proceeds from the festival will also help to keep the center in good financial shape. The festival will bring great music and many different groups to the region. And I hope that people will hear things about Earl that they may have never heard before as all the artists share their personal stories. I know that Earl would be proud of what we are doing and that we are remembering him through the festival.”
Noah Wall of The Barefoot Movement grew up in North Carolina.
“I feel so lucky to have that in common with legends like Earl Scruggs,” he said. “He was such a trailblazer, not just a pioneer of bluegrass, but he also pushed the boundaries of traditional music. I don’t think he set out to be different for the sake of standing out, I think he did it for sake of the music itself. He just sought after good music, music that moved him, and that is so inspiring to me.”
If you are attending this week’s International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass conference and festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, you hopefully have a chance to catch one of Zoe & Cloyd‘s many sets as one the event’s Official Showcase Artists.
The duo — Western North Carolina natives Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller — have been on my radar since I discovered them at MerleFest. Fans of the former Americana trio Red June will recognize the Appalachian roots husband and wife duo that made up two-thirds of that group.
I continue to be particularly impressed by the fiddle stylings of Weinstein and the guitar and banjo talents of Miller as well as their gorgeous harmonies. Their traditional approach to their music take you back to an earlier era. If you like Mandolin Orange, you’ll like Zoe & Cloyd.
Based in Asheville, the couple have been making music together in various arrangements since first meeting in 2005.
I had a chance to chat briefly with Weinstein after the band’s set at Social Architect on Wednesday night and she said they were really excited to be featured again as IBMA Official Showcase Artists, an honor they haven’t enjoyed since 2016. In addition to performing during the week at the business conference you can find them playing at the free WOB StreetFest on Friday and Saturday in downtown Raleigh.
“This week is always a highlight of our year, and we are really looking forward to catching up with folks and hearing lots of great music,” Weinstein said.
At the end of their toe-tapping inducing performance, they rolled out a new tune, “Only Game In Town,” which lead Weinsteint to joke with the audience that during IBMA at least, this was NOT the case.
Zoe and Cloyd are using the IBMA’s annual event to release their third album, “I Am Your Neighbor,” on Friday, Sept. 27, on Organic Records.
From the good folks over at the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA):
NASHVILLE — Organizers of this year’s PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass on Sept. 27-28 in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, have announced the full list of performers, and performance schedules, for the annual festival.
The free Wide Open Bluegrass festival – part of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s five-day World of Bluegrass event, sponsored by Chiesi USA – brings bluegrass into the community, and introduces the music to thousands of new fans every year, with more than 100 performers on seven stages along Fayetteville Street.
Performers include a broad mix of local, national, and international talent. Stages include the Youth Music Stage – situated on the outdoor plaza at the Convention Center – and the Dance Tent, which features clogging performances, participatory square dances, and late-night open dancing Friday and Saturday nights.
In addition to the seven stages of Wide Open Bluegrass, performances at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater will be open to the public for free, as well, subject to venue capacity. A limited number of reserved seats in prime sections of the venue are still available for purchase, to ensure admittance for every performance. More details about the festival can be found online at worldofbluegrass.org/wide-open-bluegrass, or on the festival app, available for free download via your app store.
PNC returns, for the seventh year, as the presenting sponsor for the two-day Wide Open Bluegrass festival: “PNC’s support of Wide Open Bluegrass allows festival goers free access to all stages and makes this festival even more special,” said Jim Hansen, PNC regional president of Eastern Carolinas. “As the presenting sponsor for the seven years that Raleigh has hosted Wide Open Bluegrass, we are pleased that this event has become a flagship music festival and adds to our vibrant cultural scene. We at PNC look forward to celebrating a great weekend of bluegrass in downtown Raleigh.” Continue reading
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