Old-time, country and bluegrass music in the big city.
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100 posts tagged bluegrass nyc

This afternoon there will be banjo playing and music from DublHandl, a bluegrass and old time music project that takes its name from a brand of washboards, today at the East River Park. (Hilary Hawke, pictured above, will be participating). East River State Park is located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at North 8th Street and Kent Avenue. The park is easily accessible via the L Train to Bedford and the East River Ferry to North 6th Street. The food vending hipster Gitmo, Smorgasbord, will be taking place nearby.
HIlary Hawke & The Flipsides: Groundhog
You can catch Hilary playing with one of her various band projects:
Hilary Hawke & the Flipsides @ Jalopy Theatre
315 Columbia St., Brooklyn, NY
9:30 PM
Tickets: $10
Also Playing: The Hunts
Saturday, October 8, 2011
M Shanghai Stringband-Monthly show! @ Jalopy
315 Columbia St., Brooklyn, NY
8:00 PM
Friday, October 28, 2011
Hawke & Owl @ Two Boots Pizza
514 2nd St., Brooklyn, NY 11215
10:00 PM
Tickets: Free
Madison Square Park Conservancy announced Bluegrass In The Park, which kicks off the 2011 Mad. Sq. Music: Studio Series on September 17 from 12:30 to 6:30pm. The free, one-day event will feature five, renowned bluegrass and “newgrass” acts, offering New Yorkers a rare opportunity to see high-caliber bluegrass performances in a beautiful, outdoor festival setting. Appearing throughout the day will be Nashville Bluegrass Band; Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike; Cherryholmes Brothers; Donna Hughes Band and Della Mae.
The five Bluegrass In The Park sets on September 17 will be held on the Oval Lawn from 12:30pm to 6:30pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket and a picnic for enjoying the music on the grass. There will also be food by local favorites Fatty Crew available for purchase and plenty of bench seating around the lawn.
Bluegrass in the Park Lineup:
12:30pm Della Mae | 1:30pm Donna Hughes Band | 2:30pm Cherryholmes Brothers | 3:30 Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike | 4:45 Nashville Bluegrass Band
More artist information below. Madison Square Park is located between Fifth and Madison Avenues, from 23rd St to 26th St.
Nashville Bluegrass Band
With two Grammy Award-winning albums, four-time IBMA Vocal Group of the Year the Nashville Bluegrass Band is no stranger to acclaim from critics and fans alike. The band members are sought-after musicians, known for a superior level of creativity and a commitment to traditional music styles. Collectively and singularly, the members of NBB have virtually defined the modern bluegrass sound.
Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike
Energetic singer/songwriter Valerie Smith is a three-time IBMA award winner and Grammy nominee. She knows and respects the tried and true ways of bluegrass, but holds fast to one simple rule of her own: “I sing from my heart. I do my own thing.” ”She’s bold, bright and just boiling over with energy and excitement to spare, She’s one of the genre’s few true divas and you’ll never get her mixed up with anyone else!” – Dave Higgs, Bluegrass Breakdown
Cherryholmes Brothers
Skip and B.J., two brothers from one of bluegrass’ most energetic, entertaining bands, have joined forces and friends to form the powerhouse bluegrass band Cherryholmes Brothers. The band will play their debut performance at Madison Square Park’s Bluegrass in the Park.
Donna Hughes Band
Emerging songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Donna Hughes’ first bluegrass album picked up word-of-mouth buzz and won her a devoted following among both bluegrass fans and critics. Her quest to continually uncover new perspectives is what makes her so remarkable as both a writer and performer, and why she has been referred to by the renowned bluegrass/ country writer and producer Carl Jackson as “one of the best new singer-songwriters in the world of bluegrass…”
Della Mae
From songs that explore independence and urban adventure to timeless themes of love and loss, Della Mae brings acoustic grit and twang to the stage with no apologies. Della Mae’s musical style seamlessly blends years of experience with traditional mountain music and modern singer-songwriter sensibilities. Withenergetic live performances and award-winning instrumental abilities, the women of Della Mae are certainly turning heads.
Listen to the album in its entirety here- 46 minutes streaming!
(via fuckyeahbluegrass)
“Bluegrass tells a sad, sad story, I’ll tell you that. If you don’t have no feeling, there’s no use in singing it. Cause, it’s kindly a spirit you have in your heart, and I’d say, your soul.”
Jimmy Martin, King of Bluegrass, on bluegrass and singing.
(via mynameisnotmark)
(via cabininthepines)

Hilary Hawke and Rick Snell will present a bluegrass d0uo tonight at the excellent new bar Halyards in Brooklyn. These two accomplished musicians will be playing some classic tunes and singing at 8:30pm- entry is free. This will be a great hang, and they have some great sandwiches, beers, and bar foods!
Other opportunities to see these two in action:
Sunday June 26th-6pm-7:30pm
Oldtime Slow Jam @ Brooklyn Rod & Gun club. Free, Donation hat will be passed! Great for musicians learning second instrument too!
Rick’s Weekly Jam @ Mona’s in the East Village
Monday June 27th-10pm. House band will be playing Bela Fleck’s DRIVE!
bounceorbreak: The Ebony Hillbillies @ 34th Street Herald Square subway station in NYC
21 Plays
Rick Snell and Hilary Hawke pickin’ in front of the Atlantic Avenue Food Market- what a Sunday treat!

“One of Paste’s most memorable moments at Hangout Music Festival was with The Avett Brothers, who were gracious enough to let us step into their artist trailer, interview them and record a stripped-down performance of “Slight Figure Of Speech.” Watch The North Carolinan folk rockers take it down a notch before their Hangout set—sandwiched right in between two Foo Fighters performances.”
Are you seeing Sarah Jarosz tonight? Did you know she performs Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabelle Lee”?
Because you liked the last one- Foggy Mountain Special with a little Ricky Skaggs on the Flatt and Scruggs show.

Rick Snell
Rick Snell, guitarist for The Five Deadly Venoms, writes that he is starting a session at Mona’s (Ave B and 13th) every Monday from 10 PM til late. Rick writes:
A little about Mona’s: Located on Avenue B just south of 14th St, Mona’s has a long-standing legacy of intrepid forays into traditional music. Their weekly Irish session (may it rest in peace) was known by many of that music’s top players as one of the best weekly sessions to be found stateside. These days Dennis Lichtman and Mona’s Hot Four cook up authentic early jazz and swing every Tuesday. Those that know of the bar’s reputation for live music will understand that bringing bluegrass through it’s doors should make for some serious fun.
A little about the session: The night is built around a powerhouse band which includes myself, Rob Hecht on fiddle, Bennett Sullivan on banjo, and Jared Engel on bass. We will be playing all kinds of bluegrass standards that your everyday player will be able to dig their picks into. In addition we will be filling out the repertoire with some tunes that are conspicuously absent from your average jam. Bela tunes, Manzanita-era Tony Rice Unit and Strength In Numbers will find their place among Monroe, Jimmy Martin and Stanley Brothers favs.
Sounds like fun! Tell your friends!
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