Minnesotabluegrass oct2014

October 2014

In this issue: Ivory Bridge’s Traveller p. 6Up to the competition p. 11 | Roots of bluegrass p. 15 | Phil Nusbaum p. 17 | Coming Up p. 18 | Y’All Come p. 24 | Meet the makers: Mike Kemnitzer p. 26 | Member bands p. 30

Sawtooth Bluegrass: just playing around p. 5

MBOTMA Hot Line(to subscribe and for other information)612-285-9133 or 800-635-3037 [email protected]. Box 16408, Mpls, MN 55416www.minnesotabluegrass.org Twitter: @mnbluegrass Facebook: minnesotabluegrass

MBOTMA Board of DirectorsPresident: Gary Cobus, 763-428-2394, [email protected] President: Jana Metge, 952-996-6490, [email protected]: Peter Albrecht Secretary: Mary DuShaneBoard Members: Term expires 2014: Alan Jesperson, Philip Nusbaum, David SmithTerm expires 2015: Marilyn Bergum, Gary Germond, Greg Landkamer, Sandi PidelYouth Representatives: Sarah Cagley, Catie Jo PidelFor meeting minutes and other Board business, go to: minnesotabluegrass.org/as_Board

MBOTMA StaffExecutive Director: Jed Malischke, 715-635-2479Administrative Assistant: Bea Flaming, 612-285-9133

Minnesota BluegrassEditor: JoAnne Makela, [email protected]: Sophie Galep, Adam Granger, Jed Malischke, Phil NusbaumComing Up: Loretta Simonet, Rick SwansonY’All Come: Bill LindroosWordmark: Katryn ConlinPhotography: Martin Chvatal, Doug Duncan, Doug LohmanCover photo: Martin Chvatal

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Minnesota Bluegrass is published monthly by The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association™, a Minnesota nonprofit corporation, P.O. Box 16408, Mpls, MN 55416. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without writ-ten permission from the publisher. The publisher is not respon-sible for the loss or return of unsolicited photos, recordings, or manuscripts. ©2013 Minnesota Bluegrass. All rights reserved. ISBN 0891-0537.

Thank you, MBOTMA members

Sustaining:Rod & Barb AndersonMary ArntsonLee BjorndalAnn Crawford Brooks & Barry BrooksBill & Ann BushnellDan & Marilyn CookBrian CornellBob & Vicki DalagerHal DavisMary DuShaneGarry & Linda ElfstrandJim FranczykArt GeffenWarren GumesonTimothy & Ginger HaalandJames HeligDick & Sue Hopperstad

Ann Iijima & Myles BakkeAlan & Geriann KaganJim LallyLloyd & Beverly LaPlantJim MillerBen MonkJames NatwickDominic Orrico / Rhapsody DesignBob OstlundLeo & Ann RosensteinMarty & Carol SchirberWendy SchoenTom & Margaret SchuveillerHowell SmithRoger SweetDavid & Bonnie WarnerMark & Danelle Wolf

Patrons: Tony & Barbie Andreason Lenny & Colleen Baltus Art & Teresa Blackburn Ron & Kathy Blade Kenneth Bloch Doug Chasar Paul ChristiansonLaura CooperBob & Marilyn Dodd William Fancher Jerry Frank Daniel & Maggie Freese Darrell & Marilyn FuhrJon & Sharon GaronGary & Jae Germond Michael & Paula Hildebrandt

Howie & Maggie Jorgenson Linda Kjerland Maxine LarsonRichard LuckerothRolf & Lisa Lund Rodger McBride & Mabel HouleDavid Rogers Tom & Cathy Schaefer Thomas & Barbara Schommer Penelope Scialla Carri Scott & Bryan TrappeJane & Dobson West Jim Whitney John Wilcox

Membership as of December 1, 2013: 962

October 2014Vol. 40No. 10Newsstand: $2.50Subscription: $30

Funding provided in part by a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature, a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and private donors.

3October 2014

MinnesotaBluegrass.org

9th Annual Harvest Jam Acoustic Music Experience, November 21–23, Marriott Minneapolis West Hotel, 9960 Wayzata Blvd, St. Louis Park, MN. Call 800-635-3037 or visit minnesotabluegrass.org. This 9th annual event will feature stage shows Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday morning featuring The Darrell Webb Band, Sawtooth Bluegrass, Ivory Bridge, Hey Lonesome, Bob Bovee & Pop Wagner, and The Fish Heads. Plus the Race For A Place Band Contest on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Saturday Banquet Dinner (get the best seats for the evening concert), Kip’s Live Open Mic in Kip’s Irish Pub throughout the weekend, workshops, musical exhibitors, a Sunday morning gospel show, and lots of jam sessions. For more information: 800-635-3037, www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org. To book lodging contact the Marriott at 952-544-4400 and ask for the special Minnesota Bluegrass rate. Presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA).

MBOTMA Calendar of EventsConcerts and events presented or supported by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music AssociationThe following events are presented by the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA) or supported in part by MBOTMA, and made possible in part by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

2015 MBOTMA FestivalsWinter Bluegrass Weekend, March 6–8, 2015, Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West HotelCabin Fever Festival, March 20–22, 2015, Duluth, MNMinnesota Homegrown Kickoff Music Festival, May 29–31, 2015, El Rancho Mañana, Richmond, MNMinnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, August 6–9, 2015, El Rancho Mañana, Richmond, MN

PHOTO CONTEST! If you took some great photos at the 2014 festival, enter your best shot in the MBOTMA Harvest Jam photo contest and win two 4-day tickets to the 2015 Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival.

Anyone can enter. Submit your photo JPG to photos@ minnesotabluegrass.org by November 1, 2014. Photos can be of any aspect of the 2014 Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival, from acts on the main stage to random pictures of jams at campsites.

Only one photo accepted per person. Photos need to be high resolution JPGs (it needs to look great in print), and all submissions will become property of MBOTMA.

The MBOTMA Festival Staff will review all entries and nom-inate the best to be contest finalists. Finalist photos will be dis-played at the Harvest Jam during the Saturday banquet (Nov. 22) and dinner participants will vote on a winner.

Photo: Martin Chvatal

Look through your festival photos and enter your best!

King Wilkie’s Dream at Laughing Waters Bluegrass Festival. Photo: Doug Lohman

November 21-23 2014

Marriott Minneapolis West Hotel

9960 Wayzata Blvd, Golden Valley MN

SAT NIGHT BALLROOM CONCERT

Sat from 7PM to 10PM Featuring

The Race For A Place Champions and

THE DARRELL WEBB BAND Plus THE FISH HEADS

RACE FOR A PLACE BAND CONTEST Saturday from 10AM to 5PM with

guest host band BOB BOVEE & POP WAGNER. Ten other groups compete for a host of new prizes. Music all day!

FRIDAY NIGHT BALLROOM CONCERT

Friday night from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM with

IVORY BRIDGE, HEY LONESOME & SAWTOOTH BLUEGRASS

SATURDAY BANQUET DINNER at 6:00 PM with dinner program and a performance by the Race For A Place Champions. Get the best seat in the house for the after-dinner concert.

Plus WORKSHOPS KIP’S LIVE SUNDAY GOSPEL SHOW

MUSIC VENDORS JAM SESSIONS EVEN MORE HAYLOFT JAM ROOMS

For Tickets & Information: 1-800-635-3037 www.MinnesotaBluegrass.org For Marriott Room Reservations: Call 952-544-4400

HARVEST JAM

Time to Pick!

ACOUSTIC MUSIC EXPERIENCE

5October 2014


Cover

The Laughing Waters Bluegrass Festival this past Labor Day served up a fine slate of locally grown and known performers on the Minnehaha Park stage. Headliners Bill Emerson and Sweet Dixie did not disappoint. The newly formed King Wilkie’s Dream, with John Niemann on guitar, Robbi Podrug on fiddle, Shane Zack on mandolin, Mike Hedding on banjo, and Vaughn Asselstine on bass played a rousing set of old and new grass, with some nice bluegrass takes on contem-porary music. And the Middle Spunk Creek Boys had everyone up and danc-ing. Though I love the old standards of The Platte Valley Boys and was charmed by Pride of the Prairie, I was most captivated by the close harmonies and fine instrumental licks of on-the-rise young folks, Sawtooth Bluegrass Band.

The Moravecs and Birtzers raised some fine boys. They play together nicely, with some good-natured rib-bing, and well-honed audience-pleas-ing antics —mostly regarding the stat-ure of lead singer Jesse Moravec, the oldest and, well, shortest. Jesse shows up his taller brethren with some of the most refined mandolin playing to be found here or anywhere.

Their close harmonies and obvious admiration of each other’s instru-mental skills delighted even the most harried of parents in the rolling sea

of the crowd at Minnehaha Park. Bearded 30-some-thing dads swung the arms of their little girls in twirling dresses to the band’s hearty and joyful music. They played a mostly original set, as the band prepares to release a new CD entirely of original music next year.

Brothers Clint (guitar), Luke, (fiddle), and Shane (banjo) Birtzer met the Moravec brothers in 2005 when the Birtzer’s step-dad, Matt Thompson of Monroe Crossing, arranged a jam between his step-sons and his man-dolin student, Jesse. The Birtzers and Jesse continued to play music together, and it wasn’t long before Jesse’s brother, Ethan (bass), joined in.

All in their 20s, and full of energy, the band has produced four CDs in the past six years.

Katryn Conlin reviewed the 2012 Gunflint Trail:

“With the release of Gunflint Trail, Sawtooth brings the band’s original songwriting to the foreground more than any of their previous three albums ... Throughout the CD the band maintains an easy drive even as they pull off intricate instrumental

parts and flawless harmonies. The exciting thing about hearing them tackle so much original material is that they aren’t re-inventing someone else’s arangements—they are creating the music from scratch.”

Clint Birtzer is a three-time Minnesota Flatpicking Contest winner. And he and Jesse Moravec also took home the Duet Singing Championship in 2011. Jesse, Clint, and Luke take on most of the songwriting responsibili-ties. Luke’s song “Sawtooth” is the gen-esis of the band’s name.

With veterans such as Matt Thompson behind them and the stamp of approval from the likes of Garrison Keillor, these boys are sure to go far.

Catch them on the Harvest Festival stage, Friday, November 21.

Sawtooth Bluegrass: just playing aroundBy JoAnne Makela

Photos this page: Doug Lohman

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First off, my usual disclaimer: the people in this band are friends of mine. But don’t worry about dissimulation, I only write the truth.

Ivory Bridge is a really cool name for a band. It’s not cute, it’s easy to say and to spell, and it implies veneration befitting a group whose members have racked up 200 years of musicianship among them: bassist/vocalist Kathe Liners and her guitar-playing hubby Bill formed IB 28 years ago; Jim Tordoff is banjoist; and John Bodle, the pup of the group, plays mandolin. The quartet is joined by guest fiddler Peter Ostroushko on their new CD.

Traveller carries three tunes and nine songs, seven of which were penned by Kathe. These are not songs one would hear Ralph Stanley singing.Right out of the chute, in “What If What You Want,” Liners employs a fetching existentialism when she sings, “I have always tried to give you what you want from me; But what if what you want isn’t what I need?” “Pig in a Pen” this ain’t. Ms. Liners may or may not be “a girl my lord in a flat-bed Ford,” but she’s not slowing down to take a look at anyone, so hold on. These are a thinking person’s songs, written from a thinking woman’s point of view, and one has to pay attention or risk getting bounced off the back of the truck.

“Bill and Kathe” is a Bodle-composed instrumental encomium to the Liners, into which all of the band’s soloists throw their two bits. John is the band’s Future of Bluegrass repre-sentative who plays too many instru-ments too well. Although he’s mainly mandolinist in Ivory Bridge, he also is an award-winning flatpick guitarist.

The next two songs are of adventure and exploration. “Fortune” describes a Klondike Kate-type character who is in far greater charge than the men surrounding her. Then, the singer of “Jaded” hits the road where “The signs tell me where I’m going; Some tell me where I’ve been.” These are songs of empowerment and—for better or worse—self-determination.

“Darkness Hollow” is the first of several spiritual offerings. I’m not a religious man, but I’ve been in blue-grass for 50 years, and I understand and respect that religiosity is a bulwark of the genre. “Darkness Hollow” is a potent cautionary tale, admonishing the listener not to “drink what you can’t swallow.” Great advice, whatever your faith. Later, Kathe’s “Not a Man of Stature” tells the story of Jesus with a passion that lets one know that she believes with all her heart and soul.

“Handsome Molly” is the first traditional number on Traveller. This 87-year-old Grayson-Whitter compo-sition is a great song with some bad geography in it: the singer wishes he “was in London, or some other seaport town,” but London is not a seaport town. Oh well. Ivory Bridge does not correct this, either in homage to tra-dition or because it would mess up the lyrical cadence to say, “I wish I was in London, or some other town on the River Thames. . .” Good call, folks. One doesn’t want to come off too snooty when singing a Grayson-Whitter song.

Next is “Cattle in the Cane,” a tra-ditional southern tune called to order and chaired by Tordoff. One gets a generous serving of Jim’s banjo style here, which is a skillful repudiation of the traditional brittle, tight-head, picks-close-to-the-bridge bluegrass banjo approach favored by 99.9% of practitioners. Jim plays a pre-war per-forated (“40-hole”) tone-ring Gibson Mastertone banjo with a skin head, and picks a ways from the bridge—a very unusual setup for bluegrass banjo, but one that a player of Tordoff ’s cre-dentials, gravitas, and talent pulls off with equipoise and aplomb.

“You Can’t Be Serious” is my favor-ite cut on Traveller. Viewing the title as an idiomatic phrase, I expected a hope-fully-clever hook song along the lines of “I Can’t Believe I Ate the Whole Thing,” or some such. Imagine my delight, then, in hearing a truly beau-tiful presentation of a truly beautiful song. “You can’t be serious; you can’t be so unkind. If I can’t be your true love, then I’ll leave love behind, just watching the world unwind.”

Review

Ivory Bridge: Travellerby Adam Granger

Ivory Bridge. Photo: Zimmers

7October 2014


“Safe Harbor” surprises again. I expected a gospel tune, and was instead offered a jazzy love song. Snappy, confident, and catchy, this song gives everyone a chance to stretch and swing.

The album concludes with a strong quartet reading of the old fave “Three Men on a Mountain” and the dandy, eponymous Tordoff composition, “Traveller.”

And what a pleasure to hear Mr Ostroushko playing bluegrass. In case anyone—including him!—had forgot-ten about his abilities in this genre, given the galaxy of his other musical endeavors, his long- and shortbow bluegrass fiddling shine from begin-ning to end. I just returned from two weeks with Mr. O on the Prairie Home Companion Baltic cruise, and had to remind myself constantly that the

beautiful, cerebral, hypercreative music I was listening to him play with Dean Magraw (another monster: don’t get me started) came from the same guy who kicks the stuffing out of the cuts on Traveller. That’s versatility, folks. And he told me that his original takes were better, but that they disappeared and he had to redo them. Better? Scary.

This was an easy review to write. All good stuff, and nothing to tiptoe around or sugarcoat. Ivory Bridge walked the righteous road in record-ing Traveller, and you won’t go wrong spending your cash on it. End of discussion.

See Ivory Bridge at the MBOTMA Harvest Jam, Friday, November 21. Traveller is available at ivorybridge.com.

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The 9th annual Race For A Place Band Contest will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 22, during the Harvest Jam Acoustic Music Experience at the Marriot Minneapolis West Hotel. Ten groups will have a chance to compete for a spot on the Saturday Main Stage of the 2015 Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival in August. The next two runners-up will receive contracts for the 2015 Minnesota Homegrown Kickoff and the 2015 Harvest Jam Acoustic Music Experience. This year, the Race For A Place will be hosted by Bob Bovee & Pop Wagner.

Echoing the Harvest Jam theme of helping good bands become better bands, the purpose of the contest is to provide an alternative method by which member groups can pursue a place at the August MBOTMA Festival. The contest also helps educate bands and the general public about what char-acteristics and talents are needed for prospective bands to perform well and get more and better engagements of any kind.

Find a registration form and details about entering your group for the contest on the Harvest Jam pages at minneso-tabluegrass.org. Contact info@minnesotabluegrass or 800-635-3037 to have a form mailed to you. Send in the registra-tion form and payment to lock in your stage time.

Duets and Flatpicking championsThe 2014 Minnesota Duets competition was held on August 30 at the Minnesota State Fair. This year’s First Place winners, Gavin Haskin & Eli Bentley of Golden Valley, received a pair of Breedlove Guitars from The Podium plus a cash prize. Runners up were: Matt Edwards & Sarina Yespin, 2nd prize; Ellen Stanley & Dan Gaardner, 3rd prize; Gordon Bratt & Christopher Hollister, 4th prize; and Steve & Annie Borgstrom, 5th prize.

The winner of the Minnesota Guitar Flatpicking Championship and a hand-built guitar by David Vincent Guitars & Mandolins was Roy Curry of Chattanooga, Tennesee. Mike Cramer took second place; Kyle Baker, third; Carl Sones, fourth; and Mark Hoornbeek, fifth.

In the preliminary flatpicking rounds, Senior Category: Roy Curry, first; Steve Howard, second; Christan Lindgren, third. Adult Category: Mike Cramer, first; Kyle Baker, second; Mark Hoornbeek, third. Youth Category: Carl Sones, first and Sophie Galep, second.

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11October 2014


Up to the competitionBy Sophie Galep

Year after year, I attended the Minnesota Duet Singing and Guitar Flatpicking Championships as a spectator, seeing the best of the best show their talents, take home shiny trophies and gain titles. Truth be told, the Minnesota State Fair’s other attractions held more interest for me in my earlier years. But after seeing some familiar faces get up on stage and become award winning musicians, I was more and more intrigued by the contests. By the time the trophies were given out on the Saturday of the 2012 Flatpicking Competition, I made the decision that the following year, there would be at least one female to make it in the program.

Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. I signed up for the guitar con-test when registration opened in 2013 and worked my two instrumentals into my music practice for the following couple of months. I had no expecta-tions (really, none at all) of placing in any category, and had “I’m doing this for fun and the experience” coming out of my mouth whenever it came up. The day of the contest came and I was stoked. I didn’t know the concept of being nervous until we arrived, and I realized what was going on. This was the contest that was won by some of the people I look up to most! Roy Curry, Allen Shadd, Clint Birtzer, Chris Silver, Mike Cramer, Bill Liners--just to name a few that have topped the standings in the last few years. My shaky fingers were winding up a brand new G-string when Clint walked through the backstage gate and greeted me with an energetic “Hey! How’re you doing?” and was shortly followed by my bandmate Carl Sones. Soon, I was surrounded by other friendly

competitors and vol-unteers. By the time the first round was over and the final contestants were called, I was packing up my guitar for the day. When my letter was called to come onstage as a final-ist, I let out a small shriek, climbed the steps to the stage and was joined by the four other final-ists (all male), receiving warm smiles and hand shakes.

The 2014 contest was no different, aside from the amped up competition. Arriving early Friday afternoon for the duet contests, I set to making nametags for the competitors, judges, and volun-teers, and folding and sorting T-shirts. The volunteers for the weekend were in high spirits as always, taking photos, sharing laughs, and working hard to finalize preparations for the day’s events. Contestants would arrive in pairs, signing in and greeting each other cheerfully. Jokes were told during the drawing for order and there was joyful camaraderie throughout the day. Two pairs of duet contestants who had signed up only the night before ended up advancing to the final round, one of which used an empty garbage can and cups as their “acoustic instruments.” The executive decision was since it wasn’t plugged in, it was acceptable! Not to have something to tune your voice to and come out in fourth place? Talk about talent!

Saturday was much the same. Guitarists gathered in small groups, playing rhythm for each other and swapping licks. I was on my own (after

drawing the first spot of the day), prac-ticing my tunes, when another con-testant came over to give a “Sounding good! Best of luck!” my way before I was wrangled to the stage. It wasn’t until then that I felt those familiar flutterings in my stomach, walking past and receiving encouraging smiles from various pickers. While my songs could have gone a bit more smoothly (though can’t they always?), going first, especially in a field of such high-cal-iber musicians as we had this year, is TOUGH! Going onstage to play with the band is no problem, but compet-ing and knowing someone is judging your every note is completely different. Maybe I’ll never get over those flurries of excitement and jitters before playing in front of the West End Market audi-ence, but the feeling of encouragement coming off of the competitors was one I didn’t expect.

All in all, the experiences I’ve had competing the last couple years has been worth the nominal entry fees. Competition can be fierce, but never in terms of attitude. I’ve come to realize that musicians (at least those of the bluegrass and related genres and in the community we have in Minnesota) are some of the friendliest, fun-loving

Flatpicking contest winners. Photo: Doug Duncan

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folks around. The stigma revolving around such events are never present with ours! Competitors are amiable, volunteers hard working, audiences boisterous, and the winners humble. Chattanooga’s Roy Curry, this year’s champion, was nothing but encourag-ing and generous in his photo-taking with us young’uns. If anyone out there is hesitant about signing up, take it from a first-hand source that waiting until your licks or harmonies are abso-lutely perfect is more of a hindrance than anything. The experience gained from an afternoon such as this is invaluable, and you’re sure to have a spectacular time!

The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA) will hold its annual election for its Board of Directors during the month of November. We will be electing a pres-ident, vice-president, and three direc-tors-at-large positions for two-year terms.

Are you interested in serving your community as a director? Do you know someone who would be a good candidate? Nominations for candi-dates will be accepted by Election Nomination Chair Martha Galep at 715-233-0181 or [email protected] until October 1, 2014.

Nominations open for MBOTMA board

Questions about the election or the duties of directors should be should be directed to MBOTMA Executive Director Jed Malischke, [email protected].

Election ballots will be printed in the November issue of Minnesota Bluegrass. To vote, members must either mail a completed ballot to elec-tion judge Ken Bloch by November 20, or hand cast their vote using their

printed ballot at the Harvest Jam on November 22 before 3 p.m. Results will be tallied at the Harvest Jam and announced during the Saturday Banquet dinner.

13October 2014


JoAnne Lorenz won first prize at the Minnesota State Fair for her seed art entry of the MBOTMA logo art. Her partner, the original logo artist Brian Stewart, posted on Facebook: “I’m so proud. Here’s JoAnne’s entry into the Minnesota State’s Fair seed art competition. It’s 14x24”, made of 5 Minnesota seeds. Mustard, Micro Clover, Clover Berseem, Amaranth and Poppy seed. She kept it in the family by doing a design of a logo I did years ago for the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association.” Well, Brian, we’re proud too! Thanks, JoAnne, for the terrific tribute and congratulations on your prize!

The Minnesota History Center and Red House Records will present Dave Ray, A Legacy: CD Release Concert & Celebration on Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 6 p.m.

This musical celebration and tribute to the late Dave Ray will include performances by acclaimed artists who per-formed with Dave during his four-decade career, as well as admirers who were deeply influenced by him. The concert also celebrates the Red House Records release, Dave Ray / Legacy, a 3-CD, 55-track box set, produced, compiled and annotated by his colleague, Tony Glover. Comprised of unre-leased or long out-of-print recordings, the historic collection spans from his early era with the seminal trio, Koerner, Ray & Glover to mid-career collaborations and solo work, to his valiant last days at the peak of his artistic powers.

Grass Clippings

The City of Minneapolis has declared Sunday, November 9 as Dave Ray Day and the City of St. Paul has the proclama-tion in process.

Give to the Max Day is November 13. We hope you will consider a donation to MBOTMA on this national day of philanthropy.

MBOTMA’s programming and promotion of live music through its festivals and community concerts helps maintain the tradition and history of bluegrass and old-time music. We also support and promote local bands who work in these and related acoustic genres, and new and upcoming musi-cians who seek to expand and evolve the music we all love. Please go to minnesotabluegrass.org for a link to make your donation.

Songwriter’s round-robin roundupAre we creating something new, or tapping into an existing talent pool within our music community? That question was answered at the August festival’s songwriter’s round-robin event. Fourteen songwriters within our music community and over 20 listeners showed up for MBOTMA’s first song-writer’s round-robin. Some of those listeners were also song-writers and multiple people stated that they were sorry that they missed the session.

Our music community has lots of talent and the round-robin format provided an opportunity to share original music and network with other songwriters. The songs

included a wide variety of topics such as haunted houses, the Civil War, farmer’s markets, eating red meat, love, and, in true bluegrass tradition, some songs were about death and murder.

What can you expect in the future? We hope to include songwriter round-robin sessions at future festivals. So sharpen your pencils, keep your instrument in tune and keep writing great songs. You never know who will be in the audi-ence at our next songwriter’s round-robin.—Paul Schulte, August Festival round-robin facilitator

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Free Season Opener September 18 | Minneapolis Help us kick off our season at this celebratory concert highlighting the many sounds of The Rose Ensemble. It’s something for everyone, whether you’re attending a Rose concert for the first or fiftieth time! The Roots of Bluegrass October 2-14 | 8 Minnesota Cities We’re thrilled to hit the road this fall for our 9th annual Greater Minnesota Tour, this popular program to Morris, Willmar, St. Cloud, Rochester, Marshall, Redwood Falls, Mankato, and . . . Minneapolis! Bow Down, Good Cherry Tree: A Garden of Medieval Music for the Nativity December 18-20 | Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis Amidst the familiar stories of Christmas, our program explores legends describing a midnight blooming of plants, trees and flowers – a celebration of this miracle of new life amid the cold of winter. The Requiem Mass of Pedro de Escobar February 26-28 | Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis Escobar weaves the elegant movements of the mass with ancient liturgy’s plainchant. In this historical musical recreation, The Rose Ensemble is supported by the sonorous sounds of the wind ensemble, Dark Horse Consort. Singing for Freedom: The Anti-Slavery Campaign of The Hutchinson Family Singers April 29-May 3 | St. Paul To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, this fully staged and costumed production will enjoy a week-long run at the Minnesota History Center, with guest musician Dan Chouinard.

Visit RoseEnsemble.org for full details and to purchase tickets. Questions? Phone 651.225.4340 or Send an email to [email protected].

Announcing our 2014 / 2015

Concert Season

15October 2014


The Rose Ensemble is proud to embark on its 9th annual Greater Minnesota Tour with The Roots of Bluegrass: A Journey through America’s Folk, Old-time, and Gospel Traditions. Through rousing hymns, Appalachian foot-stomping songs, Southern Harmony shape-note singing, and Shaker spirituals, The Rose Ensemble will showcase the music that gave birth to bluegrass. The Roots of Bluegrass explores our country’s musical heritage with close vocal harmonies, banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and bass.

The statewide tour will feature stops in eight cities—including a spe-cial Minneapolis performance at Ted Mann Concert Hall on October 4—and will include outreach programs in schools, veterans’ homes, and assisted living facilities. This tour marks the first of three years of community outreach in select Minnesota cities, funded by a recent major grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation.

Unless otherwise noted, tickets for all shows are $15 adults, $10 seniors/students, and available at the door or through The Rose Ensemble’s box office at 651.225.4340 and online at www.RoseEnsemble.org.

Concert Performance Schedule:• Thursday, October 2, 2014 | 7pm

Assumption Catholic Church, 207 East Third Street, Morris, MN

• Friday, October 3, 2014 | 7pm Bethel Lutheran Church, 411 West Becker Avenue, Willmar, MN

• Saturday, October 4, 2014 | 8pm Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 Fourth Street South, Minneapolis, MN. $20 in advance, $22 at the door, $10 students (with ID)

*For tickets: Ted Mann box office, 612.624.2345 or www.tickets.umn.edu

• Sunday, October 5, 2014 | 7pm Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4310 County Road 137, St. Cloud, MN

• Friday, October 10, 2014 | 7pm Rochester Civic Theatre, 20 Civic Center Drive SE, Rochester, MN *For tickets: Rochester Civic Theatre box office, 507.282.8481 or www.RochesterCivicTheatre.org

• Sunday, October 12, 2014 | 2pm First Lutheran Church, 100 Church Street, Marshall, MN

• Sunday, October 12, 2014 | 7:30pm Redwood Valley High School, 100 George Ramseth Drive, Redwood Falls, MN

• Tuesday, October 14, 2011 | 7pm Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel, 170 Good Counsel Drive, Mankato, MN

About the Rose Ensemble: Founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Jordan Sramek, The Rose Ensemble has been called “the Twin Cities’ most daring and imag-inative vocal ensemble” (St. Paul Pioneer Press). With ten critically acclaimed record-ings and a diverse selection of concert programs, The Rose Ensemble has thrilled audiences across the United States and Europe with rep-ertoire spanning 1,000 years and over 25 languages. The Rose Ensemble is the recipient of the 2005 Chorus America Margaret Hillis Award for Choral Excellence and are the

winners of first prize in the sacred and secular music categories at the 2012 Tolosa Choral Contest in Spain (part of the European Choral Grand Prix). The Rose Ensemble’s ten recordings have earned international praise and receive regular international airplay.

The group’s live performances can be heard regularly on American Public Media and the European Broadcasting Union (most notably with annual Christmas broadcasts) and were recently featured in special broad-casts on Radio France, Chicago Public Radio, Vermont Public Radio, and APM’s Performance Today.

Season and ticket information: www.roseensemble.org | 651-225-4340

The Roots of Bluegrass: A journey through America’s folk, old-time, and gospel traditions

Michael Haug Photography

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The Bluegrass Review in Minnesota

Station Day Time

KLQP-FM, 92.1 Madison Monday 8 PM

KMSU-FM, 89.7 Mankato; 91.3 Austin Sunday 10 AM

KBEM-FM, 88.5 Mpls Saturday 11 AM

KSRQ-FM, 90.1 Thief River Falls Sunday 11 AM

KQAL-FM, 89.5 Winona Saturday 9 AM

KDDG-FM, 105.5 Albany Saturday 9 PM

WTIP-FM, 90.7 Grand Marais Thursday 10 PM

KUMD-FM, 103.3 Duluth Saturday 4 PM

KRWC-AM, 1360 Buffalo Sunday 5 PM

KOJB-FM, 90.1 Cass Lake Sunday 6 PM

KSCR-FM, 93.5 – Benson Sunday 6 AM

Bluegrass Saturday MorningBy Phil Nusbaum

The Barrage of Bluegrass FestivalsThe barrage of bluegrass festivals in our town is a most pleasant one. Mosquito Jam in Roseville is the prelude to the MBOTMA August festival. Then there is Laughing Waters on Labor Day, followed the next weekend by the Washington County Bluegrass Festival at Lake Elmo. This year, the Caponi Art Park added to the fun with an additional festival the week after the Washington County event. This level of bluegrass fun was unheard of a generation ago. Let’s tip our caps in the directions of those having enough confidence in the music to put it on stages, and in the directions of those who go to the shows.

Bluegrass and AmericanaBluegrass fans feel a need to define bluegrass, and the defini-tions almost always have to do with the instrumentation of a bluegrass band and how the instruments are used. Adam Granger adds that in bluegrass, voices are used forcefully, and that there are a few standard ways for combining voices.

Then there is the field of music called Americana. Look at some Americana websites and I challenge you to come up with a definition of the field. It seems to be a combination of many elements, including all kinds of country music and blues, pop and rock, and played on acoustic instruments except when it is played on electric instruments. In this era of combining musical ideas, there are quite a few Americana groups that sound a lot like bluegrass groups. I Draw Slow for example, a group from Ireland, uses clawhammer banjo and effects a pronounced backbeat, making it sound very close to bluegrass. A group from Australia, Mustered Courage uses the bluegrass instrumentation and sings force-fully. However, something about their songs themselves and the way they sing them seem so much like pop. One gets the same impression when listening to U.S. groups such as the Deadly Gentlemen, Mipso, and the Underhills.

You might think that there is a close convergence between Americana and bluegrass taking place, and the vehicle is a pop music sensibility. Or you might think that pop, the music with the widest distribution, is working its way into bluegrass. And it gets there because members of bluegrass bands enjoy combining the bluegrass instrumentation with pop-flavored songs and vocals. Pop bluegrass? It could happen! But one doubts that pop will conquer bluegrass. Unlike the music world of a half-century ago, there are many approaches to bluegrass music other than the one that

combines bluegrass with pop. In my view, the current inter-est in combining bluegrass and pop is evidence of an active musical ferment.

Fund RaisingThis magazine often arrives in the mail a few days before the month of publication. So, a heads-up to readers of this column and supporters of Bluegrass Review that you can show your support during September and into October by pledging on KBEM-FM. The station is offering attractive premiums for those who pledge their support of the station’s efforts—all great incentives to contribute. But the main idea is to support the station. I’m hoping that with all of the inter-est in bluegrass these days that Bluegrass Saturday Morning and the Bluegrass Review make fine showings during our funding efforts.

Bluegrass Review supporters• Hoffman Guitars, www.hoffmanguitars.com, sells hand-

crafted Hoffman guitars and authorized Martin repairs.• John Waddle Violins, www.waddleviolins.com, is a dealer

of international and domestic, new and old violins, bows, and cases.

• Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Association, www.minnesotabluegrass.org

The Bluegrass Review is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.Bluegrass Review playlists: www.bluegrassreview.com. Bluegrass Saturday Morning playlists: www.jazz88fm.com.

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Coming Up

331C: 331 Club, 331 13th Ave NE, Mpls, 612-331-1746, www.331.mn3Cr: Three Crows Cafe, 225 N River St, Delano, 763-972-3399, www.thethreecrows.comACA: Acadia Cafe, 329 Cedar Ave, Mpls, 612-874-8702, www.acadiacafe.comAGr: Amazing Grace Bakery & Cafe, 394 S Lake Ave, Duluth, 218-723-0075, www.amazinggraceduluth.comAPHC: “A Prairie Home Companion,” Minnesota Public RadioAST: Aster Cafe, 125 SE Main St, Mpls, 612-379-3138, www.astercafe.comBTC: Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, Bayfield, WI, 888-244-8368, www.bigtop.orgCED: Cedar Cultural Center, 415 Cedar Ave S, Mpls, 612-338-2674, www.thecedar.orgCJ: Celtic Junction, 836 Prior Ave, St Paul, 651-330-4685, www.thecelticjunction.comCrH: Creek House Concerts, New Brighton, 651-633-5353, www.creekhouseconcerts.comDAK: Dakota Jazz Club, 1010 Mall, Mpls, 612-332-1010, www.dakotacooks.comDUL: 607 W Lake St, Mpls, 612-827-1726, www.dulonos.comDuG: Dunn Brothers on Grand, 1569 Grand Ave, St. PaulEAG: Eagles Club, 2507 E 25th St, Mpls, 612-729-4469, www.Mplseagles34.orgFITZ: Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E Exchange St, St Paul, 651-290-1200, www.fitzgeraldtheater.publicradio.org

Venue abbreviations

October 1—Wednesday• Dedric Clark and the Social

Animals, AST, 8pm• Dick Kimmel, Public Library,

Wildlife/Music Program, Waterville, MN, 4pm

GINK: Ginkgo Coffeehouse, 721 N Snelling Ave, St Paul, 651-645-2647, www.ginkgocoffee.comGKb: Grand Kabaret, 210 N Minnesota St, New Ulm, 507-359-9222, www.thegrandnewulm.comHB: Harriet Brewing, 3036 Minnehaha Ave, MinneapolisHOB: The Loft at Hobgoblin Music, 920 State Hwy 19, Red Wing, 877-866-3936, www.stoneyend.comHON: Honey, 205 E Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 612-746-0306, www.honeympls.comHOPK: Hopkins Center for the Arts, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins, 952-979-1111, www.hopkinsartscenter.comKIP: Kieran’s Irish Pub, 85 6th St N, Mpls, 612-339-4499, www.kierans.comKRAM: Kramarczuk’s Deli, 215 E Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 612-379-3018, www.kramarczuks.comOAK: Oak Center General Store, 67011 Hwy 63, Lake City, 507-753-2080, www.oakcentergeneralstore.comROCK: Rockwoods, 9100 Quaday Ave NE, Elk River, 763-222-4353, www.nograsslimit.com/RockwoodsCalendar.htmlSHL: Sheldon Theatre, 443 W 3rd St, Red Wing, 800-899-5759, www.sheldontheatre.orgTAP: Tapestry Folkdance Center, 3748 Minnehaha Ave S, Mpls, 612-722-2914, www.tapestryfolkdance.orgUMC: Underground Music Café, 1579 Hamline Ave N, Falcon Hts, 651-644-9959, undergroundmusiccafe.comZUM: Crossings at Carnegie, 320 East Ave, Zumbrota, 507-732-7616, www.crossingsatcarnegie.com

SPECIAL ATTRACTIONSOctober 26The Blue Groove, Minnetonka Orchards, 6530 CR 26, Mound, MN. Halloween Trick-or-Treat Weekend. Admission $6, call 763-479-6530, for details, 12-4pm

October 52014 Caravan du Nord Family day with The Okee Dokee Brothers. Historic Holmes Theatre, Detroit Lakes

October 18Mad Jack + Biscuits, EAG, Reunion Concert: Mad Jack and the Black Label Boys and the original Powdermilk Biscuit Band. Tickets at the door. 7:30pm

To post gigs and events to this calendar, request the link to our online submission form to [email protected]

• Four Mile Portage, $5 suggested, www.fourmileportage.com, AGr, 6pm

• John Evans and Dan Perry, Manitou Station, 7:30pm

• Monroe Crossing, IBMA Business Conference & Bluegrass Ramble, Raleigh, NC

• Nordic Bees, Norsk Hostfest, Minot, ND, 701-852-2368. Norsk Hostfest has grown into North America’s largest Scandinavian festival

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with tens of thousands of people attending from all over the world. September 30–October 4, 1pm

October 2—Thursday• Bob Bovee, GINK, 7:30pm• Monroe Crossing, IBMA Business

Conference & Bluegrass Ramble, Raleigh, NC

• Old Crow Medicine Show, State Theatre, 805 Hennepin Ave, Mpls, 800-982-2787, 7:30pm

• Swamp Poppas, EAG, 7:30pmOctober 3—Friday• Bob Bovee & Pop Wagner, GKb,

8pm• Curtis & Loretta, Grande Ronde

Cellars, Spokane, WA• Dick Kimmel, Public Library,

Wildlife/Music Program, Henderson, MN, 4pm

• Ordinary Folk, BDDOctober 4—Saturday• Bob Bovee & Pop Wagner, Dick

Kimmel & Co, Greenwood Tree, and more, Big Island Rendezvous, Albert Lea, MN, 9am

• Curtis & Loretta, Just Folk House Concert, Kennewick, WA

• Lonesome Dan Kase, DuG, 7:30pm• Monroe Crossing, Community

Bluegrass and Gospel Concert, Birmingham, MI, 7:30pm

• Moonlight Duo (Mary DuShane & Nick Jordan), Mill City Farmers Market, Mpls, 11am

• New Riverside Ramblers, Morris, MN

• The Okee Dokee Brothers, SHL, 2pm

• The Ultrasonic Duo, Red Pines Bar & Grill, W7305 County Rd. Z, Onalaska, WI, 608-779-2800, 7:30pm

October 5—Sunday• Clover Valley Hoedown, Greenwood

Tree, and more, Big Island Rendezvous & Festival, Albert Lea

• Monroe Crossing, Bluegrass Mass with the Chancel Choir, Birmingham, MI

• Moonlight Duo (Mary DuShane & Nick Jordan), Sogn Valley Craft Fair, 35200 Cty 24 Blvd, Cannon Falls, MN. Fine art and crafts, free admission, outdoors at a beautiful farm. 12pm

• The Okee Dokee Brothers, 2014 Caravan du Nord family day at Historic Holmes Theatre, Detroit Lakes

October 6—Monday• Dick Kimmel, Public Library,

History of Bluegrass Music, St Peter, 6pm

• Pocahontas County, 331C, 6:30pm• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pmOctober 7—Tuesday• Fat Chance Jug Band Jam,

Driftwood Char Bar, 4415 Nicollet Ave. S, Mpls, 7:30pm

• Roots Music Jam with Bill Cagley, UMC, 7pm

October 8—Wednesday• John Evans and Dan Perry, Manitou

Station, 7:30pmOctober 9—Thursday• Southside Aces, EAG, 8pmOctober 10—Friday• April Verch Band, ZUM, 7:30pm• Ben Weaver with Brian Laidlaw and

the Family Trade, CED, 8pm• Bob Bovee & Tim Foss, Hoot on

the Root, Smokey River Barbeque, Lanesboro, MN, 5pm, A three-day festival with many musical acts; free-will offering

• Chris Silver Band, Junior’s Bar, River Falls, WI, 8pm

• Curtis & Loretta, Pacific Northwest Folklore Society, Seattle, WA

• Monroe Crossing, River Falls Hospital Foundation Fall Fling, Mystical Rose Garden, W5415 890th Ave, Baldwin, WI, 6pm

• Pieta Brown, DAK

October 11—Saturday• Blue Groove, Deer Lake Orchard,

1903 10th St SW, Buffalo, MN, 763-682-4284, Come enjoy the fall and pick some apples and listen to bluegrass music, 12pm

• Curtis & Loretta, Artichoke Music, Portland, OR

• David Bromberg Quintet with Tom Feldmann, CED, 8pm

• Eepout Stringers, Chatfield Performing Center for the Arts, Chatfield, MN, www.chosenbean-concerts.com

• Marty Marrone & Tangled Roots, St Croix Art Barn, 1040 Oak Ridge Dr, Osceola, WI, $10 students, $12 seniors, $15 adults, 7pm

• Monroe Crossing, Phipps Center for the Arts, 109 Locust St, Hudson, WI, 7pm

• Pieta Brown, The Root Note, La Crosse, WI

• Prairie Grass, Milner Heritage Winery, 32045 State Hwy 15, Kimball, 2pm

• The Back Porch Band, Stillwater American Legion Post 48, 103 3rd St S, Stillwater, 651-439-1435, Annual Pig Roast, 4pm

October 12—Sunday• Curtis & Loretta, Nancy’s Farm

Concert Series, Bellingham, WA• David Bromberg, Pioneer Place

on Fifth, 22 5th Ave S, St. Cloud, 320-203-0331, Presented by Granite City Folk Society, 7:30pm

• Don D. Harvey, Elmaro Winery, N14756 Delaney Rd, Trempealeau, WI, 608-534-6456, 4pm

• Prairie Grass, Milner Heritage Winery, 32045 State Hwy 15, Kimball, 2pm

October 13—Monday• Dance with Millie & the Mill City

Heavyweights, EAG, 7:30pm• Joe Fingers (Pat Donohue), DuG,

7:30pm

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October 13—Monday• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pmOctober 15—Wednesday• Dan Rumsey, DuG, 7:30pm• John Evans and Dan Perry, Manitou

Station, 7:30pmOctober 16—Thursday• Monroe Crossing, Bluegrass Mass

with Griffin Choral Arts, Griffin, GA

• Sweet Honey in the Rock, O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Catherine University, 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul, 651-690-6700, 7:30pm

October 17—Friday• Curtis & Loretta, Dayaalu Yoga

Center, Bainbridge Island, WA• Marienne Kreitlow with Mike

Miller, BDD• Monroe Crossing, The Crimson

Moon Cafe, Dahlonega, GA• Pieta Brown, Stoughton Opera

House, Stoughton, WI• Communist Daughter, 2014

Caravan du Nord, SHLOctober 18—Saturday• Ani DiFranco with Jenny

Schienman, First Avenue, Mpls, Co-sponsored by CED, 8pm

• Curtis & Loretta, Concerts in the Woods, Coyle, WA

• Greenwood Tree, Pine Tree Apple Orchard, 450 Apple Orchard Rd, White Bear Lake, 651-429-7202, 1pm

• Joel Grostephan and Jim Kraus, Bluegrass Swing, DuG, 7:30pm

• Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman, CrH

• Mad Jack + Biscuits, EAG, Reunion Concert: Mad Jack and the Black Label Boys (Pop Wagner, Bob Bovee, Mary DuShane, Bob Douglas) plus the original Powdermilk Biscuit Band (Bob Douglas, Adam Granger,

Mary DuShane). Tickets at the door. 7:30pm

• Monroe Crossing, Everett Brothers Music Barn with The Everett’s Family Band, Suwanee, GA

• Nordic Bees, Hosmer Library, Hosmer Library World Music Series

• 347 East 36th St, Mpls, A free music series with wide musical shoulders, Hosmer Library World Music Series showcases traditional music from around the world highlighting local musicians, 2pm

• Sawtooth Bluegrass Band, DUL, 8pm

• Timbre Junction, AGr, $5, 8pmOctober 19—Sunday• Accordian Showcase with Dan

Newton, UMC, 7pm• BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

with Caravan of Thieves, CED, 7:30pm

• Monroe Crossing, Allied Arts, Inc Concert, Milledgeville, GA

• Joe Fingers (Pat Donohue), DuG, 7:30pm

October 20—Monday• Mad Jack & Black Label Boys,

EAG, Old time square dance with live music and caller; $8, 35th Anniversary Dance, 7:30pm

• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pmOctober 21—Tuesday• Roots Music Jam with Bill Cagley,

UMC, 7pmOctober 22—Wednesday• Bill Cagley, DuG, 7:30pm• Four Mile Portage, Bent Paddle

Taproom, 1912 W Michigan St, Duluth, 218-279-2722, 6pm

• John Evans and Dan Perry, Manitou Station, 7:30pm

October 23—Thursday• Monroe Crossing, The Museum of

Russian Art, 5500 Stevens Ave So, Mpls, 7pm

• Willie Watson with Mikaela Davis, CED, 7:30pm

October 24—Friday• Barley Jacks, Harriet Brewing, 3036

Minnehaha Ave, Mpls, 8pm• Julie Fowls: Music of Scottish Isles,

CED, 8pm• Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman,

BDD, Presented by Granite City Folk Society, 7:30pm

• Marauders Reunion Concert with Dick Kimmel, Richmond, IN

• Monroe Crossing, Route 20 Outhouse, 14001 Washington Ave, Sturtevant WI, 8:30pm

• Pert Near Sandstone, 10th Anniversary Celebration

• Romantica, 2014 Caravan du Nord, Newhall Auditorium, Faribault

October 25—Saturday• Eliza Gilkyson, CED, 8pm• Mark Brinkman Songwriting

Workshop, Schmitt Music Recital Hall, 2906 W 66th St, Edina, http://mnsongwriters.org, 1pm

• Monroe Crossing, Cup O Joy, 232 So Broadway, Green Bay, WI, 7:30pm

• Mustard’s Retreat, CrH, 7:30pm• Ploughboys, Agr, $5, 8pm• Sawtooth Bluegrass Band, Olde Pine

Theatre, Pine Island, 7pmOctober 26—Sunday• The Blue Groove, Minnetonka

Orchards, 6530 County Road 26, Mound, MN, 763-479-6530, Halloween Trick-or-Treat Weekend. Kids and adults come in costume and trick-or-treat at the Orchard. Admission $6, call orchard for details, 12-4pm

October 27—Monday• Roe Family Singers, 331C, 9pmOctober 28—Tuesday• Bluegrass Showcase with Sarah

Cagley, UMC, 7pm• Mary Black, FITZ, 7:30pm

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October 29—Wednesday• John Evans and Dan Perry, Manitou

Station, 7:30pm• Lenz and Frenz, 331C, 9:30pmOctober 30—Thursday• Roots Music Showcase with Bill

Cagley, UMC, 7pm• Savoy Family Band, EAGOctober 31—Friday• Four Mile Portage, Fitger’s

Brewhouse, 600 E Superior St, Duluth, MN, 218-279-2739, www.fourmileportage.com, 10pm

November 1—Saturday• Curtis & Loretta, Tin Bins

Coffeehouse, 413 E Nelson St, Stillwater, 651-342-0799, 6pm

• Dick Kimmel and Company, DUL, 8pm

• Monroe Crossing, Kaleva Hall with special guest The Hutter Bunch, 125 Third St N, Virginia, MN, 7pm

• Mother Banjo, OAK, 8pm• Sarah Jarosz and The Milk Carton

Kids, FITZ, 8pmNovember 2—Sunday• Chris Smither, CED, 8pm• Monroe Crossing, The Encore

Performing Arts Center, 2035 Hwy 33 S, Cloquet, MN, 3:30pm

November 3—Monday• Dick Kimmel, Public Library,

Wild Turkey/Music Program, New Richland, MN, 6:30pm

November 4—Tuesday• Bob Dylan, Orpheum Theatre, 910

Hennepin Ave, Mpls. 800-982-2787, 8pm

• Roots Music Jam with Bill Cagley, UMC, 7pm

November 5—Wednesday• Bob Dylan, Orpheum Theatre, 910


November 6—Thursday• Bob Dylan, Orpheum Theatre, 910


• Dick Kimmel, Public Library, Wild Turkey/Music Program, Blue Earth, MN, 3:30pm

• Peter Bradley Adams + Callaghan, AST, 9pm

• Swamp Poppas, EAG, 7:30pmNovember 8—Saturday• Dick Kimmel, Public Library,

Wild Turkey/Music Program, Montgomery, MN, 10:30am

• Marty Marrone & Tangled Roots, OAK. Tickets: sliding fee, 651-295-1376, www.tangledrootsbluegrass.com, 8pm

A to G Music, Osseo, MN, 763-420-5500All Strings Attached, Minneapolis, MN, 763-542-9542Blackbirds Music, Minneapolis, MN, 612-326-5745Cadenza Music, St. Paul, MN, 651-644-3611Castle Accordion, Minneapolis, MN, 612-823-5848Christian Eggert Violins Duluth, Duluth, MN, 218-726-1970Christian Eggert Violins Fargo, Fargo, ND, 701-280-7017Classical Guitars Etc., Apple Valley, MN, 952-322-1310Dave’s Guitar Shop, La Crosse, WI, 608-785-7704Eclipse Music, West St. Paul, MN, 651-451-8878Evans Music, White Bear Lake, MN, 651-429-0236Fein Stringed Instruments, St. Paul, MN, 651-228-0783The Guitar Shop, Rosemount, MN, 651-344-8177Haas Musical Instrument Repair, Arden Hills, MN, 651-631-8820Ham’s Music, Saint Cloud, MN, 320-257-7011Hobgoblin Music, Red Wing, MN, 651-388-8400Hoffman Guitars, Minneapolis, MN, 612-338-1079

Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, Richfield, MN, 612-861-3308Kenny’s Music, Grand Forks, ND, 701-772-8670Kezar Music Company, Thief River Falls, MN, 218-681-2148Main Street Music, Elk River, MN, 763-441-1753Marguerite’s Music, Moorhead, MN, 218-233-7546Mr. Mark Music, Anoka, MN, 763-421-5455Musicmaker’s Kits Inc., Stillwater, MN, 651-439-9120My Favorite Guitars, Naples, FL, 239-530-7425Nelson Music, Erhard, MN, 409-939-3062Piano Circle, Bloomington, MN, 952-881-6165The Podium, Minneapolis, MN, 612-767-2800Rhapsody Music, Mankato, MN, 507-387-2562Rocktown Music, Waite Park, MN, 320-257-7676Scheitel’s Music, Mankato, MN, 507-387-3881Simply Violins, New Hope, MN, 763-535-7055Tone Music, Owatonna, MN, 507-451-5196Waseca Music Co., Waseca, MN, 507-835-2980

Friends of Minnesota Bluegrass Music Stores

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Y’All Come Looking for a place to play with others? Jams are open to the public, but musi-cal tastes and etiquette vary from place to place. A call is recommended before your first visit.

Try to attend a jam that was no longer happening? or one that wasn’t what it let on to be? Let us know. And update your own jam or send us details about new ones at [email protected].

MINNESOTA

Blaine: Culvers, 10550 Baltimore St NE, 763-784-7881. Barb: 763-784-7881. Sponsored by MBOTMA; all levels welcome. Bluegrass. Sat. 1:30–4pm

Brainerd: Coco Moon Coffee Bar, 601 Laurel St, 218-825-7955. Bluegrass. 1st, 3rd & 5th Thu. 6:30–8pm

Clear Lake: Travelers on the Mississippi, 11290 80th Ave SE, 320-743-3133. Dick Pickens: 406-868-9205. Bluegrass, Gospel; amps permitted. May–Sep, 3rd Sat. 6–9:30pm

Duluth: Sir Benedict’s Tavern on the Lake, 805 Superior St, 218-728-1192, sirbens.com

◆ Bluegrass. Wed. 7–9pm ◆ Celtic. Thu. 7–9pm

Fergus Falls: The Spot, 220 W Lincoln Ave, 218-998-2551, thespotpaniniandwine.com, Bob Johnson: 218-736-6198, [email protected]. Celtic. 3rd Thu. 7–9pm

Westridge Mall, 2001 W Lincoln Ave, 218-739-4439, Bob Johnson: 218-736-6198, [email protected]. Acoustic; “1st Sunday Mall Jam”. 1st Sun. 1–5pm

Ham Lake: Glen Cary Lutheran Church, 155531 Central Ave NE (Hwy 65), 612-366-1359, [email protected]. Bluegrass, Country, Gospel; community dinner at 6pm. 2nd Fri. 6:30–9pm

Ham Lake Senior Center, 15544 Central Ave NE (Hwy 65). Maxine Larson: 763-434-6750

◆ Country, Bluegrass, Old-Time & Horns. 2nd Thu. 7–10pm

◆ Acoustic & amplified. 3rd Tue. 1–4pm

MINNEAPOLIS: Blackbird’s Music, 3445 Cedar Ave S, 612-326-5745, blackbirdsmusicstore.com.

◆ Bluegrass. Thu. 7–9pm ◆ Adult learners; $5 fee. Tue. 6:30–8pm

Driftwood Char Bar, 4415 Nicollet Ave S. Jug Band Jam hosted by Fat Chance. 1st Tue. 7:30pm

Elliot Park Recreation Center, 1000 14th St E, [email protected], www.TCUkeClub.com. Sponsored by MBOTMA; $5 suggested donation. Ukulele, Blues, Jazz, Swing. 1st & 3rd Tue. 6–8pm

Kenwood Park Community Center 2101 Franklin Ave. [email protected], www.TCUkeClub.com. Sponsored by MBOTMA; $5 suggested donation.

◆ Instruction provided 6pm. Ukulele, Bluegrass. 2nd & 4th Mon. 7–9pm

◆ Instruction provided 6:30pm. Ukulele, Americana. 1st & 3rd Thu. 7–9pm

Kieran’s Irish Pub, 330 2nd Ave S, 612-339-4499, kierans.com. Irish. Sun. noon–2pm

Walker Community United Methodist Church, 3104 16th Ave S, 612-209-5311, [email protected]. Roy’s Jam, Bluegrass. Last Mon. 7–10pm

West Bank School of Music, 1813 S 6th St, 612-333-6651, [email protected]. Bluegrass; led by Bill Cagley, $5 fee. 3rd Sun, 2–4pm

Monticello: VFW, 713 Cedar St,, 763-807-6431, [email protected]. Acoustic & amplified. May–Nov, last Sun. 2–5pm

Northfield: Contented Cow, 302B Division St, 507-663-1351, contentedcow.com

◆ Northern Roots. Mon. 7:30pm ◆ Acoustic. Tue. 7:30pm

Oakdale: Silver Lake Methodist, 5399 Geneva Ave N (Century Ave), 651-777-2920, [email protected]. Acoustic. 3rd Sat. 10am–noon

Red Wing: Winter Farmer’s Market, Sargent’s Nursery, 3352 N Service Dr. Dave: 651-388-3847. Old-time. Nov–Mar, Sat. 9am–noon

Richfield: Homestead Pickin’ Parlor, 6625 Penn Ave S, 612-861-3308, homesteadpickinparlor.com

◆ Slow fiddle tunes; all bluegrass instruments welcome. 1st, 3rd, 5th Mon. 7–9pm

◆ Flatpicking Guitar. Thu. 7–9pm ◆ Beginning Bluegrass, $1 donation for

leader. 2nd & 4th Tue. 7–9pm ◆ Advanced Bluegrass. Sat. 3–6pm ◆ Fiddle tunes, intermediate level; all

Bluegrass Instruments welcome. Wed. 7–9pm.

◆ Folk Jam. 1st, 3rd, 5th Tue. 7–9pm

Rochester: Peace UCC, 1503 2nd Ave NE, peacechurchucc.org. Pat Lehey: 507-261-7128. Bluegrass. Fri. 6:30pm

Rogers: Rogers Community Center, 21201 Memorial Dr. Dave Christen: 612-859-5847, [email protected]. Potluck at 4pm. Acoustic & amplified. 1st Sun. 1–6pm

Roseville: Ken’s Market, 788 Cleveland Ave SW, Doug Chasar: 612-802-0833, [email protected]. Acoustic. Mon. 6:30–8:30pm

Rushford: Good Shepard Home, 800 Home St. Roberta Albertson: 507-864-8109, [email protected]. Bluegrass. Nov–Mar, 3rd Sun. noon–5pm

Saint Cloud: Whitney Senior Center, 1527 Northway Dr. Ken Hoest: 320-260-3348. Acoustic & amplified. 1st Tue. 6:30–9pm

Sartell: The Legends at Heritage Place, 673 Brianna Dr. Gary Loomis: 320-223-2537, [email protected]. Acoustic. 4th Tue. 6–9pm

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Spring Valley: Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 805 S Broadway. Roberta Albertson: 507-864-8109, [email protected]. Bluegrass. Nov–Mar, 1st Sun. noon–5pm

SAINT PAUL: Black Bear Crossings Cafe, 1360 N Lexington Pkwy. Pam: 651-488-4920. Old-time (until December 2014). Sat. 10–Noon

Burn Ward Coffee Unit, 945 West 7th St. Doug Chasar: 612-802-0833, [email protected]. Acoustic; call for space availability. Thu. 6:30–8:30pm

Dubliner, 2162 University Ave, 651-646-5551, thedublinerpub.com

◆ Sea Shanties. 2nd Mon. 7:30pm ◆ Traditional Irish (advanced).

Fri. 6–9pm

Underground Music Cafe, 1579 Hamline Ave N, 651-644-9959, undergroundmusiccafe.com

◆ Roots Music (Bluegrass, Old-time, Country). 1st, 3rd Tue. 7–9pm

◆ Cajun. 1st, 3rd Sat. 11am–1pm

Taylors Falls: Memorial Community Center, 312 Government St. Brian Pigott: 651-465-5551, [email protected]. Acoustic & amplified. Mon. 6–9pm

Wyoming: Wyoming Methodist Church, 5459 E Viking Blvd, 651-464-7442, [email protected]. Acoustic, Gospel. 2nd & 4th Thu. 7–9pm

NORTH DAKOTA

Fargo: Red Raven Expresso Parlor, 916 Main Ave. Bob Johnson: 701-478-7337, [email protected]

◆ Celtic. 4th Thu. 7–9pm ◆ Old-Time. 2nd Thu. 7–9pm

Valley City: Barnes County Historical Society, 315 Central Ave N. John Andrus: 701-721-8296. Bluegrass. Sep–May, 2nd Sat. 1–5pm

WISCONSIN

La Crosse: Southside Neighborhood Center, 1300 6th St S. Ron Sackett: 608-498-0020, [email protected]. Bluegrass, Gospel. Sep–May, 2nd Sun. 12–4:30pm

Menomonie: Christ Lutheran Church, Elm & Wilcox Streets. Donna Harschlip: 715-673-4885. Mountain Dulcimer; other acoustic instruments welcome. Tue. 1–3pm

Rice Lake: First Lutheran Church, 15 E Sawyer St, 715-458-0181, [email protected]. Acoustic, Bluegrass, Gospel. Sep–May, 2nd Sat. 6–9pm

River Falls: Farmers Market, 2nd & Locust. Ben Toppel: 715-688-3112, [email protected]. Old-time; bring a chair. Tent is available, but may not occur if it rains. Jun–Oct, Sat. 9am–noon

Funktion Junction Antiques and Local Goods, 125 North Main St. Ben Toppel: 715-688-3112, [email protected]. Old-time. Nov–May, Sat. 9am–noon

Star Prairie: This Old Store, 301 Main St. Jerry: 751-248-4800. Acoustic. Tue. 2–9pm

August 29 & 30, 2014 Schell’s Stage at Schilling AmphitheaterWest End Market, Minnesota State Fair

Congratulations to Gavin Haskin and Eli Bentley, winners of the Duet Championship,

and Roy Curry, winner of the Flatpicking Guitar Championship.

Special Thanks: Nate Dungan, the staff of the Minnesota State Fair, and

all of the competitors, volunteers, staff, and sponsors who make this event possible.

Special thanks to our 2014 Sponsors

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORS

SILVER LEVEL SPONSORSHoffman Guitars

Homestead Pickin’ ParlorLaPlant InstrumentsWillie’s American Guitars

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Mike Kemnitzer makes mandolins that bear his nickname (Nugget), and is one of the most widely respected luthiers working today. He works alone from a 150-square-foot shop off the living room in his house in Central Lake, a farming community in northern Michigan. His instruments, recognized for their power, clarity and craftsmanship, are found on stage and in recording studios across the country.

Music shapes instruments and instruments shape music. How is today’s mandolin renaissance chang-ing what people ask mandolins to do? How is it changing what you build?

Chris Thile, Tim O’Brien and many others have been serious inspiration to players and builders alike. When I first started, I probably had tunnel vision in thinking that it was all about building an instrument with volume and a good bottom-end. I also had a fondness for the occasional darker sounding mandolin. Over time, I gained an appreciation for more balanced sound-ing instruments, often referred to as instruments with a greater mid-range. They often project better and can pos-sess a more vintage sound.

Players are always pushing the envelope and we’ve all been enlight-ened when it comes to a mandolin’s tonal possibilities. But to this day, when discussing a new commission, it almost always boils down to a request for an instrument that sounds like a particular instrument that I’ve previ-ously built. That makes it a lot easier for me because using words to describe an instrument’s tone and playability is difficult.

The mythology says you need an F to play bluegrass (because that’s what Bill played) and an A for Celtic or Old Timey. Your thoughts?

I think wood quality and the build-er’s execution have a greater influence on an instrument’s sound than body shape. I’ve long wondered how well any of us could do in a blind listening test to distinguish A5s from F5s.

It can’t be denied that the F5 looks the part when it comes to bluegrass, but folks like Tim O’Brien, Andy Statman and others have clearly shown there can be alternatives. Not only did Andy play an A-model for many years, but it was an oval hole and he could sound very bluegrassy on that instru-ment when he wanted to. Sam Bush played on the only known Loar-signed A-model, the“Griffith-Loar”, many years ago and perhaps still would if he owned it.

All things being equal (if they ever are!) what are acoustical differ-ences between f-hole and oval-hole mandolins?

Structurally, the vintage oval-hole instruments are different. They typi-cally have a single transverse brace and the top needs to be thicker towards the neck to compensate for the struc-tural loss from the oval hole (although the fingerboard glued to this area helps). The bridge placement is in a less efficient location, not the center of the instrument’s interior like the F5 instruments (Lloyd Loar was an acoustic engineer). I often think of the vintage Gibson oval-hole instruments as sounding warm and tubby as well as sweet - very pleasing but perhaps more challenging to be heard with in a “crowd.”

Superior bluegrass mandolins are often said to have "dry, woody sound" or sometimes a "bark." How do you interpret the meaning of these terms?

Woody sounding equals rich and resonant, in my mind. I think of “bark” as being percussive with a quick response. Bark also has no sustain, which the player can supply by quickly muting the strings after the pick hits the strings.

I tend to think of dry sounding as being clear and perhaps not bright. Others may have different thoughts. I wish there was a universal vocabulary for describing tone color and instru-ment response but a back and forth discussion can often lead to a success-ful understanding.

Accordions are typically tuned either wet or dry. A dry-tuned accor-dion refers to the unison-reeds (mul-tiple reeds for the same note) being tuned very accurately to pitch. A wet-tuned accordion’s unison-reeds are tuned slightly apart in pitch. When a note on a wet-tuned accordion is played, a slight beat can be heard.

Perhaps a dry-sounding mandolin could mean that each note’s over-tones are all in tune with one another. This might make for a warmer and clearer sounding instrument. Such an instrument might not project as well as a brasher or edgier (wet?) sounding instrument.

Of course, much of an instrument’s tone comes from the player’s choice of plectrum and his or her right and left hand technique. A great instru-ment is responsive to a player’s tonal inflections, but a great player may be able to get the job done on an average

Mike Kemnitzer: cracking the NuggetBy James Kent

Series: Meet the Makers

27October 2014


instrument. Mandolin acoustics is a complex subject, but wonderfully so.

What is your oldest instrument that has come back to you, and how would you describe the effect of age on its tone?

F5 #1 was built in 1974 and pur-chased by Ed Neff, who still owns it. Like many older instruments, its tone has become more open and clearer. Perhaps its tone has become a little less brash and less noisy. Age seems to be kind to mandolin family instruments and even just a few months of playing can sometimes make a pronounced difference.

What is your current production level these days, and wood choices?

A very productive year for me would be a dozen instruments. This year will include three L5 octave man-dolins and some two-points but F5s remain the most requested model. Well over half of the three hundred-plus instruments that I’ve made are F5 mandolins.

Many customers have a preference for red spruce, but not all. My ears are good at discerning tonal qualities but I’m not sure I could do a great job of identifying the species of spruce in a blind listening test. The type of wood used in the instrument’s top is some-times obvious to the player and/or listener but many times I’ve witnessed discriminating ears be fooled.

As for maple, I’m partial to the subtle clarity of tone that some quar-ter-sawn, or moderately bias-cut sugar maple can give an instrument. But like spruce, the quality of the individual piece of maple is of more interest to me than what species it is.

Talk about how you choose wood tone woods. Bob Taylor once built a limited run of “pallet guitars” out of shipping pallet oak, complete with nail holes and knots. His point was to

challenge the obsession over tone woods and prove that it's the crafts-man, not material, that makes the most difference. Comments?

I’m a Bob Taylor fan. What he’s accomplished with Taylor Guitars is monumental and over the years, he’s been extremely generous in sharing knowledge with the luthier commu-nity. I enjoyed reading about the pallet guitar and enjoyed seeing it once. Bob makes a valid point about craftsman-ship but I think I could have supplied “tone wood” for that instrument’s top and braces that would have resulted in a poorer sound. Just because

something looks a certain way or is of a certain species, doesn’t mean that it will sound good or bad. I think that’s part of the point he was making, but it’s a mistake to believe that technique and process can overcome tone-wood that is lacking in necessary qualities. Some pieces of wood “have it” and others never will. Bob’s choice of pallet wood was pretty decent in terms of tonal quality, even though it was an aesthetic departure from what many find acceptable.

About the time I started building my first instruments I read the book Violin-Making: As It Was And Is

Mike Kemnitzer, maker of Nugget mandolins, scrapes the surface of a new F5. He works with a low-angle, raking light to better illuminate relief of the wood grain.

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by Ed Heron-Allen. The book is not highly regarded today but for filling an aspiring luthier’s head with ideas and enthusiasm, it’s perhaps the greatest book ever written. It’s very broad in scope, richly illustrated and sprinkled with folklore and poetry. From the chapter titled “The Wood-the Model”:

“Both the maple and pine…should be not only that of the trees growing on the south side of the forest, exposed to the sun, but also the wood of south side of the tree should be used. …and should be cut in the months of December or January. It is of the great-est importance that the wood used in fiddle-making should be thoroughly dry and well-seasoned, and for this purpose should be laid fully exposed to the sun and air (but not to rain) for some five or six years, at least, before it is used.”

I think much of this advice is very good.

Not many years later I was living in the Rocky Mountains and harvest-ing tone wood from spruce trees (in December). I always wait at least five years from harvesting before using spruce, and seven years for maple.

This curing time allows the wood to off-gas, lose moisture, begin its yearly cycle of responding to seasonal changes and whatever else takes place. But, if it’s not good tone wood in the first place, the aging process won’t make it good. I’d greatly favor a five-year-old piece of high-quality spruce over a fifty-year-old piece that is merely decent. Like instruments them-selves, age can be kind to them but age won’t turn average into great.

My favorite tone woods are the pieces that are responsive and have a good stiffness to weight ratio. These pieces can be identified by simply

holding and tapping. It’s also not too involved to compute density, speed of sound, and etc., which enables record keeping for comparisons.

You have talked about the advantage of building two or three instruments simultaneously because you can “compare the sound, [and] you’ve got a good chance of maybe learning something.” What do you learn?

Comparing wood and instruments to each other is easier than trying to compare something to things in your memory. My first two mandolins were both F5s and were built at the same time. One of the instrument’s tops had lower-pitched free-standing tap-tones and I assumed it would be the instru-ment with the better bottom-end. I was surprised when it didn’t. I was also surprised that subsequent instruments followed this same pattern. That was a great early-on discovery for me and it showed me the value of comparing wood characteristics of instruments being built at the same time. The same process showed me that top wood with a greater density can give an instru-ment more sustain and less volume.

Fletcher Brock commented, “everyone is trying to copy John Reischman’s Loar, yet a Kimble sounds like a Kimble, a Dudenbostel sounds like a Dude, etc.” How would you describe the sound you are after?

The sound I’m after is not always the sound I get (a very interesting topic in itself), but in general, I strive to build instruments that have clarity, focus, richness of tone, good projec-tion, and also an evenness of tone across the instrument’s entire range. When successful, it can make for a grateful customer and an instrument that works well for many types of music and playing situations.

Is your F5 an interpretation of what a Loar might have sounded like new, or is it a new instrument designed to sound old—or some-thing else?

I want my new F5s to sound like an exceptional 90 year old Loar but that’s a tall order. From wood selection to final set-up, my focus is on achiev-ing instruments with a vintage sound rather than sounding new. Once the instrument is built, lots of playing is that wonderful ingredient that is nec-essary for an instrument to realize its full potential.

Finishes seem to have a bottom-less alchemy. If you have settled, describe what you’ve settled on and why.

It’s difficult to think of another word that can mean more things than the word varnish. I’ve explored many types of finishes since I started building: spirit varnish, oil varnish, lacquer, lacquer/spirit hybrid finishes and so on. I currently finish all my instruments with a spirit varnish that I believe to be similar to Gibson’s Loar-era finish. Spirit varnish has unsur-passed clarity and I think it’s kinder to the instrument’s sound than any other finish.

My present finish is the most durable spirit varnish I’ve concocted, BUT, it’s still spirit varnish and it’s not as durable as many other types of finishes. Over time, body warmth and moisture will affect it. In moder-ation, this results in a certain patina that some of us are very fond of in vintage instruments. This process can be slowed, if you wish, by wiping the instrument after each playing with a clean dry cloth. No treated rags, pol-ishes or cleaners on my instruments, please.

29October 2014


Tap tuning is a big subject. How useful is it?

I tuned free plates to targeted fre-quencies for a period of time in the 1970s and early ’80s but I abandoned the process for the lack of predict-able results. As well, I don’t tune my instrument’s plates to any particular frequencies after they are glued up. I put a great deal of importance in wood selection, the arching, and the way the wood is worked to final thickness. Rather than frequency, I’m guided by the way the plates give when flexed and the sound my fingers get while rubbing, rapping and tapping in differ-ent places.

To CNC or not to CNC? that is the question.

There are several types of CNC machines but CNC-routers are the most common type used by luthiers and instrument manufactures. Routers, the CNC type and otherwise, can be very useful in mandolin building but a mandolin can certainly be built with-out them.

I use routers for binding channels, inlay pockets (Dremel tools are small routers), carving tops and more. The material being routed doesn’t know (or care) if the router is being held by an individual, fixed in a panto-graph, attached to the frame of a CNC machine or whatever. Various methods of holding the router can get the job done.

To make an instrument without the use of any type of router, tasks would be accomplished with some combina-tion of knives, chisels, gouges, files, and hand planes. There is a long tra-dition in luthiery of using these hand tools in very accurate and efficient ways. The Gibson factory in the 1920s would have had these hand tools but they would have also had various types of routers and wood-shapers.

Some dislike CNC-made instru-ments because they want to see the “hand of the maker”… and I’m one of those people! I prefer to cut the final shape of my f-holes by hand and I hand-cut my inlay designs from pure shell (not the laminated type). Machine-cut pearl can certainly have an appealing look but you’re seeing the “design of the artist/programmer,” not the “hand of the maker.” Countless mandolin details can be more easily and eloquently sculpted with hand tools. CNC machines shine when it comes to things like cutting very accu-rate fret slots, creating precise top and back center-seams and hogging away wood for tops and backs while I’m in the next room saving my hearing.

I never dreamed that I would some-day own a CNC machine but over time they became more common and a lot less expensive. The machine I acquired 20 years ago never resulted in increas-ing my yearly output but it’s spared my arthritic hands a lot of wear and tear. It also allowed me to collaborate with Collings on the Tim O’Brien Model. Numerous CAD drawings were emailed back and forth and in the end, parts made at each end fit together perfectly. As a bonus, my CNC machine accomplishes many jointing and shaping operations in ways that are a great deal safer than using con-ventional woodworking machinery.

Many owners of premium instru-ments treat them as objets d’art—and you can’t blame them, given what they paid and maybe how long they waited. Yet, I wonder about the thermal history of Bill Monroe’s F5. Bean Blossom could be hot as blazes. How do you square the need for rea-sonable care with Admiral Hopper’s observation that “a ship is safe in port but that’s not what ships are built for”?

Ninety degree heat in itself shouldn’t bring harm to a mandolin. It’s the higher temperatures found inside a case that’s in the sun or in a closed-up car on a hot day that can be damaging. High temperatures can cause glue to fail, necks to warp, and tops to distort.

Mandolins are first and foremost tools for playing music. They need to be strong enough to withstand the considerable tension of the strings and robust enough to endure a few bumps and moderate temperature and humidity swings. But for a man-dolin to sound good, it needs to be built light weight enough to respond to and amplify the strings’ very quiet vibrations.

I suppose if a person was after an instrument that sounded decent and also able to withstand greater extremes, they might consider graph-ite-composites constructed with high-temperature epoxy. But with rea-sonable care, a very responsive man-dolin built with traditional techniques and materials can easily outlive genera-tions of players.

After building for 40 years, do you run out of things you find construc-tively perplexing?

Countless perplexing things come to mind: How to make my finishes exactly match my test samples, how to adjust a new instrument’s truss rod and bridge height before shipping it to a much drier or damper climate than my workshop’s, how to define a player’s sometimes confusing tone-describing adjectives, how to build an instrument that sounds great to the player and also great to somebody listening from two campsites away… and the list goes on. Things that perplex are just challenges, and I’ve never been concerned that I might run out of them!

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BLUEGRASS BANDSAlzen Family, Brad Alzen, 715-749-3977, [email protected] Stevenson & Highwater, Art Stevenson, 715-884-6996, [email protected] Picking, Jon Garon, 612-839-2277, [email protected]’s Hollow, Ian Kimmel, 507-766-3529, [email protected] Family Singers, Peter Benson,, [email protected] Juke & The Last Resort, Mark Jukich, 218-390-7342, [email protected] Boys, Daniel Fish, 763-434-2734, [email protected] Groove, David Smith, 952-974-5121, [email protected] Wolf, Shirley Mauch, 612-724-1482, [email protected] Fever, Jeanie Wyttenbach, 507-635-5625, [email protected] Creek Bluegrass, Tom Monsen, 952-466-2089, [email protected] Lester, Lincoln Potter, 651-483-0469, [email protected] Kimmel & Co, Dick Kimmel, 507-359-1163, [email protected] Fish Heads, Kim Curtis-Monson, 218-729-5326, [email protected], Harvey Riekoff, 262-497-3024, [email protected] Family, Anna Froemming, 320-453-2393, [email protected] Family Band, Loren Halvorson, 507-345-7431, loren@ birchcovesoftware.comHand Picked Bluegrass, Joe Cronick, 715-966-6463, [email protected] Lonesome, Art Blackburn, 763-213-1349, [email protected] High 48s, Eric Christopher, 651-271-4392, [email protected] Bridge, Jim Tordoff, 612-759-5987, [email protected], Jed Malischke, [email protected]

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Holly Underwood, 937-768-0911, [email protected]’s Countrymen, Lorn Schultz, 715-495-5275, [email protected] King’s Highway, Eddy Van Pamhorst, 807-630-9914, gemvan@ tbaytel.netThe Kingery Family, Christy Kingery, [email protected] Long Shots, Sophie Galep, 715-233-0181, [email protected] Time Gone, Ben Manning, 651-388-7383, [email protected] Warm and the Cool Hands, Michael Periolat, 303-638-3135, [email protected] Kreitzer Band, Mark Kreitzer, 612-724-7334, [email protected] Marrone & Tangled Roots, Marty Marrone, 651-295-1376, [email protected] Middle Spunk Creek Boys, Al Jesperson, 612-727-2489, [email protected] Blue, Kelton Parrish, 651-697-0209, [email protected] Man’s String Band, Nic Hentges, 612-387-0196, [email protected] Lights Bluegrass, Mary Campbell, 320-679-3094, [email protected] Posse, Arlette Solom, 218-463-0710, [email protected] Family Band, Molli Ophoven, 218-327-2058, [email protected] Nusbaum & Steven Earl Howard, Phil Nusbaum, 651-690-1508, [email protected] Platte Valley Boys, Ron Colby, 651-458-0804, [email protected] County, Justin Bruhn, 612-710-8213, [email protected] Creek, Sarah Birkeland, 218-624-1781, [email protected], Bonnie Hallett, 320-485-3310, [email protected] of the Prairie, Sarah Cagley, [email protected] River Band, Chuck Lahr, 563-927-2457, [email protected]

Riverside Bog Stompers, David Darnell, 218-260-6546, [email protected] Bluegrass Band, MJ Moravec, 507-990-6456, [email protected] Seldom Herd, Gary Cobus, 612-859-9013, [email protected] Street, Sherri Leyda, 763-972-2341, [email protected] Stringsmiths, Chris Landstrom, 715-671-3772, [email protected] and Cindy, Tim Roggenkamp, 218-568-5559, [email protected] Junction, Karen Radford, 612-623-0261, [email protected] Woodpicks, Joel Kezar, 218-681-2148, [email protected]

OLD-TIME STRINGBANDSThe Blackburns, Art Blackburn, 763-213-1349, [email protected] & Lynn Dixon, Lynn Dixon, 612-377-6819, [email protected] Bovee, 507-498-5452, [email protected] For The Oyster, Kevin McMullin, 715-635-7641, [email protected] Eelpout Stringers, Karl Burke, 651-784-7323, [email protected] Gritpickers, Rob Daves, 612-822-0085, [email protected] In The Wilderness, Michael Sawyer, 651-698-7520, [email protected] Benny, David Furniss, 651-699-0557, [email protected] Roe Family Singers, Quillan Roe, 612-599-0266, [email protected] River Ramblers, Eric Hatling, 715-772-4421, [email protected] String Band, Doug Wells, 218-736-4469, [email protected] Tune Jerks, Bob Douglas, 651-778-1395, [email protected] Goose Chase Cloggers, Jim Brooks, 612-419-4576, [email protected]

MBOTMA Member Bands

31October 2014


RELATED GENRE BANDSAlabaster Falls, Julie Kaiser, 218-308-3131, [email protected] Banjo, Richard Swanson, 651-338-1349, [email protected] & The Bel-tones, Anabel Wirt, 651-795-9561, [email protected] Sorrows, Robert Coleman, 612-801-4660, [email protected] Back Porch Band, LaDonna Seely, 651-324-5990, [email protected] Barley Jacks with Brian Wicklund, Brian Wicklund, 651-433-4564, [email protected] Flaming, Benji Flaming, 612-326-6521, [email protected] King & The Guilty Pleasures, Bernie King, 763-242-6943, [email protected] & Kate Isles, Bill Isles, 218-340-4404, [email protected] Gospel Trio, Timothy Johnson, 763-464-3481, [email protected] Yodel #9, John Whitehead, 651-641-0752, [email protected] Dad, Ross Vaughan, 320-685-3839, [email protected]’s Jammers, Barb Carlson, 763-784-7881, [email protected] & Loretta, Loretta Simonet, 612-781-9537, [email protected] Cajun Band, Doug Lohman, 612-306-3490, [email protected] D Harvey & the Ultrasonic Duo, Donald Harvey, 608-781-3456, [email protected] North, Louise Wiermaa, 218-590-7654, [email protected] Eddies, Phil Platt, 651-500-2279, [email protected] Flemming Fold, Sandra Flemming, 952-758-7522, [email protected] Legg Fish, Mick Garrett, 320-279-1868, [email protected] Gated Community, Sumanth Gopinath, 612-332-2006, [email protected] Tree, Bill Cagley, 651-636-9542, [email protected] Hacklewrappers, Mark Rubbert, 612-387-8189, [email protected]

Jack Klatt & The Cat Swingers, Jack Klatt, 612-270-9079, [email protected] & Rose Band, John Vincent, 218-766-1925, [email protected] Mueller & Friends, Karen Mueller, 612-270-4740, karen@ karenmueller.comMad Jack & The Black Label Boys, Pop Wagner, [email protected] Henderson & Geoff Shannon, Mary Henderson, 612-721-3550, [email protected] Cowdery & Friends, Mikko Cowdery, 320-859-3536, mick@ midwestinfo.netMoonlight Duo, Mary DuShane, 612-724-5341, [email protected] Moss Piglets, Ian Gamble, 651-644-0810, [email protected] Banjo, Ellen Stanley, 612-281-1364, [email protected] Riverside Ramblers, Eric Mohring, 612-724-4687, info@ newriversideramblers.comNew South Shore Mountain Boys, Tom Draughon, 715-682-9362, [email protected]

No Grass Limit, Sandi Millar, 763-439-3515, [email protected] Bees, Renee Vaughan, 651-295-4200, [email protected] and Then, Daniel Fish, 763-786-2524, [email protected] Bailey With Strings Attached, Ralph Bailey, 612-743-7439, [email protected] Matt, Matt Weiss, 314-800-6696, [email protected] of Kerry, Paul Cotton, 320-251-0601, [email protected] Corner, Jeanne Marti, 763-559-7552, [email protected] Minnick & Jackson Buxton, Sherry Minnick, 651-644-8682, [email protected], Soren Olesen, 218-634-2800, [email protected] Sinkers, Chris Boone, 651-274-3054, [email protected] Beans, Chick Pea & Garbonzo, Roger Cuthbertson, 612-474-2476, [email protected]

Switched At Birth, Rick Anderson, 651-230-2431, [email protected] & L Schwartz & Family, Linda Schwartz, 701-659-3154, [email protected] River, Evan Jungbauer, 952-215-5244, [email protected]’d Out, John Trelstad, 701-212-0015, [email protected] Hamilton, 612-508-0768, [email protected] Weasels, George Rothenberger, 612- 724-6911, [email protected]

Minnesota Bluegrass Deadline for December 2014

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There was plenty of delightful dancing at the 2014 Laughing Waters Bluegrass Festival on Labor Day. Photo: Martin Chvatal

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