Fireball Mail
Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association, Inc. Newsletter
March / April '10
Bluegrass week
at the
Overture center
201 State Street • Madison
Ticket Office: 608.258.4141
WWW.overturecenter.com/blog/?p=520
Break out the banjo and washboard, cuz the Overture Center for the Arts is dedicating a week to backporch bluegrass, the original all-American music.
First, on Wednesday, April 7, Overture After Work welcomes Madison’s own bluegrass darlings: the Cork ‘n’ Bottle String Band. These half-dozen dudes have been
plucking their way all around Dane County for going on 15 years. This performance will be in the Overture Hall's lobby from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, doors open at
4:30 PM. Happy hour food and drink are available for purchase.
Cork n' Bottle's show at Overture — which is FREE, by the way — will culminate in
a bluegrass jam free-for-all. So bring the banjo, guitar, washboard, jug and kazoo
and get in on the act.
And then on April 9 at 6:45 pm, Bill Malone, a living encyclopedia of American
music and host of WORT 89.8 FM's Back to the Country, will have a presentation
on the Rotunda Stage about the origins and meaning of bluegrass music along
with special comments about the Osborne Brothers. A few recorded selections
of songs will illustrate Malone’s main points. Comments and questions from the
audience are welcome.
That’s sure to put you in the mood to head upstairs to Capitol Theater for the
American Bluegrass Masters Tour, starring Bobby Osborne. In addition to leading
a family steeped in musical legacy in its own right, Bobby is one of the last living
persons who actually performed alongside the great Bill Monroe. Come for the
living history or just the foot-stompin’, knee-slappin’ rhythms. Ticket prices range
from $20 - $35.
Fireball Mail
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March, May, July, September, and November.
Please send advertising inquiries,
articles, calendar information,
photos and letters to :
Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass
Music Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 7761
Madison, WI 53707-7761
Attn: Fireball Mail
E-mail: FireballMailEditor@gmail.com
Deadline for submissions is the 10th of the
month preceding the month of publication.
Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass
Music Association, Inc.
The Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association, Inc. is a non-profit educational
organization devoted to the preservation and promotion of bluegrass music, and
supported by volunteer efforts. The SWBMAI mission as stated in the by-laws:
1) To promote bluegrass music and musicians
2) To bring together persons of all ages who enjoy singing, playing and listening to
bluegrass music
3) To hold regular bluegrass jam sessions
4) To publicize information about bluegrass concerts and festivals
5) To help younger persons obtain instruments and instruction in bluegrass music
6) To introduce bluegrass music to new listeners
SWBMAI Board of Directors
President; Marketing and Public Relations – Jean Knickelbine, jeanknick@gmail.com
Vice-President – Jim Hodges, 608-884-4278, thumbpik@charter.net
Acting Secretary – Jim Knobloch, Julie Cherney
Secretary – Mary Helmke, helmkemary6@gmail.com
Treasurer – Jon Peik, jrpeik@yahoo.com
Public Relations – Bruce Stein, bestein@uwalumni.com
Attendant Board Members:
Julie Cherney, 608-244-2184, cherney@uwalumni.com
Jim Knobloch, knobhill@chorus.net
Catherine Rhyner, 608-835-8117, catherine.rhyner@gmail.com
Lane Venden, 608-442-0315, lanevenden@yahoo.com
Webmaster (non-voting board member) – Scott Knickelbine, swbmai@gmail.com
Membership Chair (non-voting) – Sharon Manion, 608-424-3408, smdw@charter.net
Other Member Volunteers: Dave Nance, Betty Hodges, Beverly Hills, Bill Malone
Board Meetings
The board meets monthly on the first Thursday at 5:15 pm at Jean & Scott Knickelbine's
home, 6233 Countryside Lane., Madison, WI. If you would like to attend, contact a board
member to be sure of the date, time and location as they are subject to change.
SWBMAI is a member of IBMA (International
Bluegrass Music Association) and the
International Bluegrass Music Museum
Board Meeting Minutes
The Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association, Inc. board meeting minutes are
available on line at www.swbmai.org/swbmai-board-minutes/. If you would like
minutes mailed to you please send a stamped self-addressed envelope to SWBMAI, P.O.
Box 7761, Madison, WI 53707.
Fireball Mail
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Every Wednesday
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9:00 am - noon with Bill Malone
Every Friday
Mud Acres Bluegrass Special,
9:00 am - noon with Chris Powers
2 Fireball Mail/ March - April '10
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WHAT'S BEHIND THE SONG:
The Ballad of Frankie Silvers
by Wayne Erbsen ©2010
Just before Christmas one year, Charlie was getting
ready to go hunting up on the Tennessee line. A bad
snowstorm was raging, so in order to keep his wife and
baby daughter warm while he was gone, Charlie chopped
down a hickory tree. After he had split all the wood and
stacked it on the porch, Charlie came in covered with ice
and snow and laid down in front of the fire to get warm.
He took his baby daughter, Nancy, in his arms and soon
fell asleep.
This was Frankie’s chance to kill Charlie. No one knows
why Frankie wanted to murder her husband. Some say it
was jealousy, while others say that Charlie was a violent
man who frequently beat Frankie. What is certain is that
Frankie took the baby from Charlie’s arms and then struck
him a blow with the axe as he lay sleeping in front of the
fire. After she hit him, he screamed, “God save the child!”
She immediately dropped the axe and hid in the bed
under the covers. After some time, she heard no sounds,
so she came out from under the quilts and found that
Charlie was dead.
Her real name was Frances Steward Silvers, but they all
called her Frankie. The words chiseled into her tombstone
give us a chilling reminder of what this story is about:
“Frankie Silvers, Only Woman Ever Hanged in Burke
County, Morganton, July 2, 1833.”
I first heard about this strange chapter of North Carolina
folklore from a mountain man named Bobby McMillan,
whom I met when I lived in Hickory, North Carolina in the
mid-1970s. Because he was the third cousin to Charlie
Silvers, the man Frankie was accused of killing, Bobby
had been collecting stories, songs and lore about Frankie
Silvers since he was a small lad.
The story takes place in what is now Mitchell County,
North Carolina, between the Blue Ridge and the
Allegheny mountains. It was there, near a branch of the
Toe River, that Charlie Silvers built a one-room pole cabin
out of round logs. A handsome young man who was just
20 years old, Charlie was known both as a good dancer
and also as a good singer. At 19-years old, his wife Frankie
was considered a pretty girl and also a good dancer.
4 Fireball Mail/ March - April '10
That night, Frankie, possibly with the help of her father,
cut up Charlie’s body with the axe and burned him in the
fireplace with the wood that Charlie had cut, split, and
stacked on the front porch. They hid the internal organs,
which wouldn’t burn, in a hollow stump some distance
from the cabin.
The next day, Charlie’s step-mother, Nancy, and her sisters
were washing clothes in an old washpot in the yard when
Frankie came walking down the hill with her baby. Frankie
told them she had been washing and cleaning her cabin
all morning. When asked where Charlie was, Frankie
said he had gone across the river on the ice to get his
Christmas liquor and had not yet returned. When Charlie
didn’t show up the next day, Frankie took the baby and
went to stay at her father’s house. Before she left, she
boarded up the door and windows.
Meanwhile, Charlie’s father became concerned because
his son hadn’t come back, so he and a party of men went
to nearby Tennessee looking for him. There he found a
fortune teller whose conjure ball indicated that Charlie, or
his remains, was still in the cabin.
Jake Collis, one of Charlie’s friends, was also suspicious
that Charlie had been murdered. Accompanied by the
The Ballad of Frankie Silvers
Sheriff, Jake went to Charlie’s cabin. After prying off
the boards that Frankie had nailed over the door and
windows, they found the one-room cabin had been
scrubbed spotlessly clean. Investigating further, the
Sheriff noticed that the ashes in the fireplace looked
greasy. He and Jake then raised up the puncheon in front
of the fireplace and found blood stains on the dirt, along
with teeth and chips of bone. The axe that lay nearby
was unusually dull, as if it had been chopping something
other than wood.
Just then, Frankie, who had been hiding in the woods,
burst into the cabin and started screaming like a wild
animal. After the dogs led Jake and the Sheriff to more of
Charlie’s remains that were hidden in a hollow stump, the
Sheriff arrested Frankie and charged her with murder.
At her trial Frankie pled not guilty, but the all-male jury
convicted her, and Judge Donnell sentenced her to die.
Due to North Carolina law she was not allowed to testify
at her own trial. The sentence was appealed, but it was
sustained by Judge Ruffin.
Frankie was not without her supporters. Thirty-four
women from the community signed a petition to set
her free, but Governor David L. Swain refused to grant a
pardon. Even though seven members of the jury signed
a petition saying they didn’t think she should be hanged,
the governor made no response.
With all appeals exhausted and the execution date
fast approaching, Frankie’s father bribed the jailer and
spirited Frankie out of jail. As a disguise, Frankie cut her
hair short and dressed up in men’s clothes. She even
wore an old felt hat. After leaving Morganton in an old
hay wagon, they were approached by the Sheriff who
was suspicious. “Where are you going, Frankie?” Frankie
(continued)
replied in as low a voice as she could muster, “Well, thank
you Sir, my name is Tom.” Frankie’s uncle, who was also in
the wagon, said, “Yes, Sir, her name is Tom.”
People came from miles around to witness the hanging.
Her last request was a piece of cake, which was soon
brought to her. Before she was hanged, they asked if
she had anything to say. She said she did, but when she
started to speak, her father hollered, “Die with it in you
Frankie, die with it in you.” So, she closed her mouth, and
never said another word. Instead, she pulled the black
mask down over her face. She was hanged July 12,1833.
Some claimed that after the execution, Frankie’s family
became cursed. Her father was killed by the falling
limb of a tree, and her mother died from the bite of a
copperhead. Her brother moved to Kentucky where he
was tried and convicted as a horse thief and hanged.
Some stories claim that Frankie herself composed the
ballad known as “Frankie Silvers,” and sang it from the
scaffold. Alfred Silver, interviewed in 1903, claimed it
was “printed on a strip of paper and sold to people who
were assembled at Morganton to see Frankie executed.”
However, no examples of the broadside were ever found,
and it was doubtful that a printing press existed in that
region at that early date. The song was apparently first
printed in a local newspaper in 1885, under the title,
“Frankie Silver’s Confession.” However, one reader, Harry
Spainhour, claimed that it was actually written by a
17-year-old co-worker named Thomas W. Scott. It is
doubtful that Frankie composed the ballad. After all, she
could neither read nor write.
From the book Log Cabin Pioneers by Wayne Erbsen,
available from Native Ground Books & Music. www.
nativeground.com
When The Ballad of Frankie Silvers was collected by Frank C. Brown of Duke University, the ballad was in 3/2 time, so I have
put it in a more singable rhythm and have also changed the melody slightly and added the chords.
Fireball Mail/ March - April '10 5
Country Music Family Tree by Bill C. Malone
© Bill C. Malone 2010
6 Fireball Mail/ March - April '10
Country Music Family Tree Unearths
the Roots of Bluegrass
By Scott Knickelbine
Preeminent country music historian Bill Malone has
sketched a family tree of country music to illustrate the
roots as well as the kissin' cousins of bluegrass music.
Malone, whose Country Music U.S.A. has been called "the
Bible for country music history and scholarship” sketched
the relationship of Bluegrass music
to earlier forms of American roots
music, as well as more contemporary styles that followed.
Bluegrass fans who think of the
music as a traditional style may
be surprised to find it fairly high in
the branches in the country music
family tree. Originating with the
musical innovations of Bill Monroe
in the mid-1940s, Bluegrass was
preceded by a host of earlier string
band styles, tracing all the way back
to the music of African slaves and
European settlers.
These music styles primarily found
their expression in home dances
and other social occasions in the nation’s early years. Appalachian music
preservationist Bascom Lamar
Lunsford once described the typical
setting of the earliest roots music as
“the country parties: bean stringings, butter stirrings, shoe arounds,
candy breakings, apple peelings and corn shuckings.”
Church music — particularly that of African-American
and white rural churches — also provided a source of
inspiration for popular music, one which would influence
American music styles as diverse as bluegrass, blues, jazz,
and rock. Itinerant performers such as gospel singers,
ballad singers and fiddlers played an important role in
developing and spreading American roots music.
Two technologies that came into their own in the 1920s
— phonograph records and radio — would have a revolutionary impact on all forms of American music, and country music was no exception. Local performers and bands
suddenly found themselves with a national audience, and
the fledgling music industry discovered an avid market for
“hillbilly” music. Among the earliest country music stars were
such acts as Fiddlin’ John Carson, Charlie Poole, Gid Tanner
and his Skillet Lickers, and the Carter Family, all of whom
began their recording careers in the Roaring Twenties.
As the market for country music expanded, the genre
expanded from hillbilly music to include cowboy songs
and Cajun music. Famous brother duets such as the Bailes
Brothers, the Louvin Brothers and the
Blue Sky Boys developed a tradition
of vocal harmony that would have an
enormous influence on bluegrass, as
well as on later pop music acts such
as the Everly Brothers.
The end of the World War II brought
a resurgence of country music.
Major stars such as Hank Williams
and Patsy Cline would find large
audiences north of the MasonDixon line. Bob Wills fused big band
music with cowboy songs to create
the Western Swing genre. Another
country music star took old-time
string band music and added the
virtuosic, improvisational solos
found in jazz and big-band music
and created Bluegrass. Bill Monroe,
who gained early popularity as part
of the Monroe Brothers, created
a sound specially tailored for the
improved recording and broadcasting technologies of the post-war
years, and his band, The Bluegrass Boys, gave the genre
its name.
As we reach the heights of the country music family tree,
we find it branching off into country pop, neo-traditional
and “Newgrass” styles, with a special branch for such
“outlaw” singer-songwriters as Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson. One branch bends down to include old-time
string band revivalists like Mike Seeger.
Country-related music styles continue to fuse and evolve,
producing sounds such as the bluegrass/classical compositions of the Punch Brothers and the head-banging
tributes to old-time string bands performed by the Old
Crow Medicine Show. Whatever you think about these
new styles, one thing’s for sure — there’s plenty of life left
in the old tree.
Fireball Mail/ March - April '10 7
Jams & Open Mic Events March / April 2010
Every Monday
Bluegrass, Folk & Traditional Country Jam and Open
Mic, Dry Bean Saloon, 6:30 - 10:30 pm, 5264 Verona Rd.,
Madison, WI Host: Dave Bacholl (Info: 608-906-6036)
Every Tuesday
Instructor-Led Jam Classes at The Hotel Ruby Marie,
Germania Parlor, 524 East Wilson St. , Madison, WI.
SWBMAI sponsored instruction: 1st Tuesday Jon Peik
7:30 pm; 2nd Tuesday with Chris Powers 7:00 pm;
3rd Tuesday with David Nance 8:00 pm; 4th Tuesday
with Catherine Rhyner and Mary Helmke 7:00 pm; 5th
Tuesday with Guest Instructor 7:00 pm. $5.00 instructor donation. (Info: SWBMAIjamclass@gmail.com)
1st & 3rd Thursday
Apple Holler Bluegrass Jam & BBQ, 6:00 - 9:00 pm; Apple
Holler Restaurant, 5006 S. Sylvania Ave., Sturtevant, WI
(Info: www.appleholler.com or call 1-800-238-3629)
EVERY THURSDAY
Books & Brew Jam, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Old Junction Mill,
613 W. Madison Ave., Milton, WI Non-amplified acoustic
music. (Info: Carla 608-868-3371)
1st FRIDAY
Kenosha Folk Hootenany, 7:00 - 10:00 pm, Anderson
Arts Center informal gathering in an old Lake Michigan
mansion, 121 66th. St., Kenosha WI
2nd Friday
Ron's Old-Time Jam, Black Earth Bank, 1:00 - 4:00 pm,
(lower level meeting room) Black Earth, WI. Host: Ron
Poast (Info: 608-767-2553) www.ragtime88.com/swotfa
3rd FRIDAY
Acoustic Open Mic, Crossroads Coffeehouse, 7:00 - 9:30
pm, 2020 Main St, Cross Plains, WI. Info: joesnare@tds.
net or call 608-798-2080) Host: Joe Snare
1st & 3rd FRIDAY
Harmony Bar & Grill, 10:00 - 11:59 pm, 2201 Atwood
Avenue, Madison, Musicians of all levels are encouraged Guitars, banjos, fiddles, mandolins, dobros, basses,
harmonicas, accordions, musical saws, voices! No cover.
Hosted by Mark & Brian. Call (608) 249-4333.i
1st Saturday
Waukesha Church of Christ, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, 2816
Madison St., Waukesha, WI. Host: Pastor Greg (Info:
262-470-3644)
8 Fireball Mail/ March - April '10
2nd Saturday
Freeport Opry Jamboree Acoustic Jam and Stage
Show, 12:30 - 6:30 pm, Freeport Moose Lodge,
601 E. South Street, Freeport, IL Host: Jeff Wagner
815-978-2705 Sept - May
R.H. Landmark Saloon, 3:00 - 6:30 pm, 138 S. Main St.
Jefferson, WI. Host: John Short (Info: 920-563-7441)
Spring Green General Store, 3:00 - 6:00 pm, 137 S.
Albany St., Spring Green, WI. Host: Paul Bentzen, Doug
Lloyd and Michael Connors (Info: 608-588-7070)
EVERY OTHER SUNDAY
Old Time Acoustic Jam, 3:00 - 5:00 pm, Alchemy Cafe,
1980 Atwood Ave., Madison (Info: Scott Knickelbine
scottk@lcs-impact.com) 3-28, 4-11 & 4-25
1st Sunday
Life Spring Coffee Shop, 1:00 - 4:00 pm, 7578 Hwy 51,
Minocqua WI Host: Rich Gadow (Info: 715-588-9498)
www.headforthedome.com
2nd SUNDAY
APRIL DATE CHANGE DUE TO EASTER Fritz & Donna's
Orfordville Jam, Noon - 6:00 pm, American Legion Hall,
Highway 213, Orfordville, WI (Info: (608) 214-4286)
Hazelhurst (Yawkey) Town Hall, 1:00 - 5:00 pm, Hwy 51,
Hazelhurst, WI. Host: Keith Justice (Info: 715-356-3793)
BBMA Bluegrass Jam, 2:00 - 5:00 pm, Borders Books,
8705 N. Port Washington, Fox Point, WI (Info: 414-5401427 http://badgerlandbluegrass.org)
Bluegrass/Old-Time Jam, 6:00 – 10:00 pm, Chippewa
Club, 106 W. Main Street, Durand, WI Round robin
style, all acoustic, all ability levels. Host: Emily Huppert
& Kevin Louden, with The DitchLilies' Kari Larson &
Lisa Schultz. Info: (715) 672-8785.
3rd Sunday
Lake Country Jam,1:00 - 4:00 pm. Good Harvest
Market, 1850 Meadow Lane, Pewaukee, WI. www.
goodharvestmarket.com
4th Sunday
Viroqua Bluegrass & Gospel Music Association Jam,
1:30 - 4:30 pm, Park View Ct, Viroqua, WI (Info: 608637-3820) www.viroquabluegrass.com)
Acoustic Jam, The Attic, 2:00 - 4:00 pm, 730 Bodart
Street, Green Bay (Info: www.theatticbooks.com or
920-855-2627)
Festivals, Workshops, Concerts & Special Events
March / April 2010
Mar 19 The Del McCoury Band, 7:30 – 10:30 pm, Stoughton Opera House, 381 E. Main Street, Stoughton, WI www.
delmccouryband.com or www.cityofstoughton.com/index.asp? Tickets $30.
20 The Del McCoury Band, 7:30 – 10:30 pm, Stoughton Opera House, 381 E. Main Street, Stoughton, WI www.
delmccouryband.com or www.cityofstoughton.com/index.asp? Tickets $30.
20
SWBMAI members Bill & Bobbie Malone, 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Prairie Coffee House, N509 County Road C, De Forest, WI www.springprairie.org
26-28 16th Annual Naperville Bluegrass Festival, Holiday Inn Select, 1801 N. Naper Bvld., Naperville, IL Call (217) 243-3159 or www.bluegrassmidwest.com Featuring SWBMAI member band Monroe Crossing on Saturday. Tickets $5 - $55
April 1-3 Sweetwater Shakedown, Papa Charlie's, County Road 5, Lutsen, MN The environmental conditions that push the North Shore maples into producing the finest maple syrup in the world coincidently are the best condi-
tions for spring corn snow skiing. Lutsen Mountains celebrates the sweetwater run with sweet skiing and sweet music accompaniment. Featuring Hot Tuna, Donna the Buffalo, Trampled by Turtles, Cornmeal,
Absynth Quintet, Gordon Thorne, & Charlie Parr. www.lutsen.com/swshakedown/shakedownTickets.cfm
2
SWBMAI members Bill & Bobbie Malone, 8:00 pm, Wild Hog in the Woods Coffee House, 953 Jenifer Street, Madison
9
Pre-Bobby Osborne Concert Presentation by noted country music historian and SWBMAI member Bill Malone, 6:45 – 7:45 pm. Bill will speak about the origins and meaning of bluegrass music along with special comments about the Osborne Brothers. A few recorded selections of songs will illustrate Bill's main points. Audience comments and questions welcome. www.wort-fm.org/programming-music-folk.php
9
American Bluegrass Masters Tour with Grammy winner and Grand Ole Opry legend Bobby Osborne, 8:00 – 10:30 pm, Overture Center, 201 State Street, Madison, WI 608-258-4141 or www.overturecenter.com
Tickets $20 - $35
10
2nd Annual Chicago Bluegrass Fest, 7:30 – 11:59 pm, American Legion Music Hall, 1030 Central Street,
Evanston, IL A sustainable celebration of pickers and fans of bluegrass in and around the Chicago area. Tickets: $20 (cash only) at the door, $15 seniors/children. www.chicagobluegrass.com/2010_apr10.html
15
Branson on the Road with Maggie Mae, 3:00 – 5:00 pm and 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Stoughton Opera House, 381 E. Main Street, Stoughton, WI. www.bransonontheroad.com or www.maggiemaecountry.com or www.cityofs
toughton.com/index.asp? Tickets $20
23
Tony Rice Unit, 7:30 – 10:30 pm, Stoughton Opera House, 381 E. Main Street, Stoughton, WI. www.tonyrice.
com or www.stoughtonoperahouse.com Tickets $30
30
Sugar Maple Kick Off Concert, 8:00 – 11:59 pm, High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI www.
sugarmaplefest.org or www.high-noon.com $10 cover / 21 & over.
Into Africa
by Mary Helmke
Some friends of mine, Karl and Susan, took three weeks
at the end of December 2009 to attend a wedding in
Mauritania. In case you’re not sure where that is, it is on
the African Continent ( I knew that) in the upper half
and on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean (I didn’t know
that ‘til I looked it up).
Anyway, Sue and Karl had a great time – lovely traditional wedding, camel trek, lots of eating and they and
their newly married friends were invited to the American Embassy for a concert. When they told me this, I
thought, ‘that is pretty cool’. But it really surprised me
when they said the band was a bluegrass band. They
were Bob Perilla and The Big Hillbilly Bluegrass Band
(BHB). If you google them, you will find that they spend
a lot of time away from home. They have shared bluegrass on three continents and are still going.
Here is a quote from their website: "On December 26
Big Hillbilly Bluegrass begins a month-long tour of five
African countries as musical and cultural ambassadors.
We will play in Mauritania, Togo, Benin, Republic of
Congo and Central African Republic.
"This trip — our first to Africa — will be our fifth for
the U.S. State Department. These tours include Azerbaijan, The Republic of Georgia, and Armenia in 2005,
Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Georgia in 2006, and Moldova, Croatia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Dominican Re-
public and Georgia in 2007. No strangers to performance under adverse conditions, BHB is the only
American band ever to perform in the international
'Frozen Conflict' zones of Abkhazia and Transneistria."
While they were in Mauritania, The BHB concluded their
concert by accompanying Mauritania’s foremost female
singer: Malouma. She is a national treasure and the
people adore her. Susan told me that she is a third generation singer (the ones who carry the history and lore),
and she was exiled for awhile because she was creating
and singing songs about her feelings and current life.
But for several years now she is valued and everyone
wants to see and hear her.
What a great night of music that must have been —
Bluegrass and Malouma. Susan and Karl said that they
had not expected to be hearing Bluegrass in Africa! But
music is music and it blurs lines. . . . No wonder we love it!
Brooklyn Bluegrasss Festival Announces Line Up
June 11 - 13, 2010 • Legion Park, Brooklyn, WI
This old fashioned, outdoor, 6th annual bluegrass festival is back with another outstanding line up of bluegrass bands. Rough
camping is available with a campfire jam in the beautiful 15 acre Legion Park. Sponsored by the Village of Brooklyn, the Wisconsin Arts Board, WORT 89.9 FM and SWBMAI. Go to www.brooklynbluegrassfestival.com for tickets and information.
Friday Saturday
Sunday 6:30 – 7:45 8:00 – 10:00 10:00 – 11:00 am
11:10 – 12:45 pm
2:00 – 3:00 3:15 – 4:15 4:30 – 5:30 5:45 – 6:45
7:00 – 8:00 8:15 – 10:15 9:30 – 10:30 am
10:45 – 11:45 am
12:00 – 2:00 pm 10 Fireball Mail/ March - April '10
Mecan River Ramblers (Princeton, WI)
The Bluegrass Tribute Band (Madison)
Workshops: Guitar, Autoharp, Mandolin, Band Formation
Open Mic
Oak Street Ramblers (Madison) SWBMAI Member Band
Old Tin Can String Band (Madison)
Pike Creek (Connecticut)
Spare Time Bluegrass Band (Madison) SWBMAI Member Band
Truman’s Ridge (Illinois) SWBMAI Member Band
Audie Blaylock & Redline (Tennessee)
Krause Family Band (Madison)
James Creek Road (Illinois)
Jerry Wicentowski & Lucky Break (Milwaukee)
Member Band Schedules March / April 2010
MARCH
19 Monroe Crossing, 7:30 pm 10:30 pm, Pioneer Place on Fifth, 22 Fifth Avenue S, St Cloud, MN
20 Turtle Creek Ramblers, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, NorthPointe Terrace, 5601 East Rockton Rd., Roscoe, IL FREE
23 Northern Comfort, 6:00 – 8:00 pm, Licari's Tavern, 1405 Emil Street, Madison, WI FREE
25 Monroe Crossing with the Prairie du Chien High School Choir, 7:30 – 10:30 pm, St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 210 South Michigan St., Prairie du Chien, WI
26 Monroe Crossing, 7:30 – 10:30 pm, Spring Creek United Church of Christ, 4500 Spring Creek Road, Rockford, IL
27 Monroe Crossing, 16th Annual Naperville Bluegrass Festival Holiday Inn Select, 1801 N. Naper Blvd., Naperville, IL
31 Truman's Ridge, 7:30 – 10:00 pm, The House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL
APRIL
3
Liberty Bluegrass Band, 9:00 – 11:59 pm, Delafield Brewhaus, 3832 Hillside Drive, Delafield, WI
3
Oak Street Ramblers, 9:30 – 11:59 pm, The Alchemy, 1980 Atwood Ave., Madison, WI FREE
10 Turtle Creek Ramblers, 9:30 – 10:30 am, Northwoods Care Centre, 2250 Pearl St., Belvidere, IL FREE
10 Turtle Creek Ramblers, 1:30 – 2:30 pm, Maple Crest Care Centre, 4452 Squaw Prairie Rd., Belvidere, IL FREE
12 Henhouse Prowlers, 8:30 – 11:59 pm, UW-Green Bay Phoenix Club, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI
17 Turtle Creek Ramblers, 2:00 – 4:00 pm, NorthPointe Terrace, 5601 East Rockton Rd., Roscoe, IL FREE
19 Oak Street Ramblers, 7:30 – 10:00 pm, The Malt House, 2609 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI FREE
28 Truman's Ridge, 7:30 – 10:00 pm, The House Cafe, 263 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, IL.
Meet SWBMAI Member Band:
The Alzen Family Bluegrass Band
The Alzen Family from Roberts, WI enjoys making toe-tapping music together and sharing it with friends. Winners
of the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old Time Music Association
2006 Family Area Talent Contest, the Alzen Family plays
gospel bluegrass music the whole family can enjoy.
The Alzen Family consists of Brad (dad) on guitar and
banjo, Denise (mom) on harmonica, and four children:
Isaac on upright bass fiddle, Lucas on whiz-bang, AnaLise
on mandolin, fiddle & guitar, and Tessa Lyn on fiddle,
banjo & mandolin. Each family member sings, and the
variation from Isaac's deep bass voice to Tessa's sweet
alto to AnaLise's powerful soprano provides great variety
and interest in their music.
The Alzen Family lives on small acreage in northwestern
Wisconsin, where they have tasted some country living, complete with wood-burning stoves, and a flock of
egg-laying hens. It seems fitting that their adventure in
old-time music followed their move to the country. The
Alzen's strive to live life a little more like it was lived in
the "old days." Television has been mostly replaced by
reading, quilting, playing board games & sports, learning
foreign languages, fishing & hunting and, of course, making music together.
The music highlights the singing and high-energy playing
of the Alzen children, and consists of a wide variety of
family-oriented
bluegrass, gospel
bluegrass, and
old-time music
& hymns with
four-part vocal
harmonies, along
with silly songs
for children.
The family attributes its band
beginnings to
the Heritage
Square at the Minnesota State Fair, where several years
ago, they saw a family bluegrass band on stage. At the
time, the family's oldest daughter, AnaLise, was beginning her Suzuki violin lessons, and had never heard bluegrass music. She loved the music and wanted to learn
to fiddle. This led to a chain reaction where, one by one,
each Alzen Family member began to learn a bluegrass
instrument. Now, the family enjoys a busy performance
schedule.
Fireball Mail/ March - April '10 11
Mad City Jug Band to the Rescue!
By Scott Knickelbine
The Mad City Jug Band had a great time playing
before a crowd of hundreds at the Battle of the Jug
Bands in Minneapolis last month, but the real excitement came well after the event was over.
“I am too,” Rick said, following her.
“I was a medic in the Coast Guard,” added Arvid
Berge, our harmonica player, and went down after
Beverly and Rick.
My wife Jean, gave the waitress a hug,
helped her dry her tears, told her to
go take a break in the back room, and
promptly took over waiting tables. The
rest of us — bassist Dave Bacoll, washboard player Denise Berge and myself
— stood there stunned. Within a matter
of a few seconds, it appeared that the
Mad City Jug Band and its entourage had
taken control of Matt’s Bar.
Rick Romer, Beverly Hills & Arvid Berge (l ro r). Halos not pictured.
By the time the winners had been announced and
the party broke up it had been snowing heavily for
several hours. Our mandolist Catherine Rhyner and
her husband Jamie had hit the road a few hours
earlier. The rest of us were hungry, and Beverly
“Kween of the Kazoo” Hills’ husband Rick got a tip
on a famous local eatery called Matt’s Bar, home of
a cheese-stuffed hamburger called The Juicy Lucy.
(We found out later that the Food Network Magazine
named this one of America's Best Burgers.)
Our little caravan crept through the snowy streets
until we reached Matt’s, which turned out to be
a little 50s-style diner. Even at 9:00 on a Sunday
evening it was completely packed with devotees of
the Juicy Lucy. We settled in for what looked to be a
rather longish wait for a table for seven.
Suddenly we heard a rumbling crash. The sole waitress
on duty looked down a nearby doorway and yelled
“Call 911! Someone’s fallen down the stairs!” The noisy
diner fell dead silent. After a second look the waitress
added, “I don’t think he’s breathing,” and began to cry.
“I’m a nurse,” Beverly said, and quickly strode off
toward the stairs.
12 Fireball Mail/ March - April '10
Beverly, Dave and Arvid made their way
down a steep flight of stairs, slippery with
melted snow, to find a man sprawled facedown at the bottom in a pool of blood.
Normally you wouldn’t move someone
who may well have just suffered a spinal injury, but
as Beverly checked for a pulse, Rick noticed the man
risked drowning in his own blood, if he could indeed
breathe. The three made the decision to carefully turn
him over.
The hapless patron quickly came to, obviously quite
drunk, sporting what looked to be a broken nose and
a large gash on his forehead. He was agitated and
began to flail about, but Arvid — whose Coast Guard
medical hitch had left him with ample experience
in treating intoxicated patients — talked him down
long enough for the paramedics to arrive. In the end,
the victim was able to reclimb the stairs under his
own power (the stairwell was too narrow for the gurney to fit.) He had survived a steep plunge with only
minor injuries, but I could only imagine the kind of
headache he was going to suffer the next morning.
With the EMTs gone, Beverly, Rick and Arvid cleaned
up, Jean turned the restaurant back over to the waitress, and we all sat down to Juicy Lucys, courtesy of
the house. As it turned out, this delicacy would be
better dubbed the “Molten Lucy.” If you order one
there, do heed the warning on the menu to wait
several minutes before biting into it. No point in
causing another medical emergency.
STILL INSIDE
Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story
submitted by Julie Cherney
Attention all acoustic music lovers! A new biography
of Tony Rice is due out on April 12! Co-written by Tim
Stafford and Caroline Wright, Still Inside: The Tony Rice
Story chronicles Tony’s incredible musical/life journey
through anecdotes, observations from his friends, family, fans, fellow musicians and most importantly, Tony’s
own words.
From his turbulent childhood, to his current status as
statesman of the acoustic guitar and everything in between, this biography explores the musical contributions
Tony has made…elevating the acoustic guitar to lead instrument, pioneering the new acoustic jazz called Dawg,
and his years as one of bluegrass’ most eloquent vocalist.
Co-author Caroline Wright, who went on the road with
Tony, documents his everyday life in great detail, sure to
astound and fascinate even his most knowledgeable fans.
Tim Stafford, founding member of group Blue Highway
and a highly respected acoustic guitarist himself, lends
The Tony Rice Story
his acuity into Tony’s
unparalleled guitar
style. Additionally,
Tim discusses the life
and times of Tony’s
prize possession, the
1935 Martin D-28
Herringbone guitar
also known as “The
Bone” or “The Antique,”
formerly owned by the
great Clarence White.
Tim Stafford & Caroline Wright
I N T R O D U C T I O N
B Y
R I C K Y
S K A G G S
This insightful and entertaining biography also contains
a comprehensive discography, a detailed and fascinating
timeline, a bibliography of suggested reading for serious
fans and more than 100 never-before published photos.
Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story is sure to be a notable
bluegrass literary event of the year.
More information at: www.tonyricestory.com.
SWBMAI-Supported Concert Pulls a Crowd
to the Memorial Union Theater
Three Association Members win Free Tickets
The Punch Brothers, led by
former Nickle Creek mandolinist Chris Thile, drew a
large crowd of fans to the
Wisconsin Union Theater on
Thursday, March 4 at 8 p.m.
The Southern Wisconsin
Bluegrass Music Association,
Inc. supported the concert as a Presenting Partner.
As proof of the Punch Brothers wide appeal, SWBMAI
members were still sending in requests for our free ticket
giveaway days and days after the offer went out by email. The lucky winners are evidence of the group's wide
appeal and of our association's, too. One of the winners
even wrote back saying "I LOVE you."
Winners included Willie Jones of the Oak Street Ramblers, Jeff Wagner who just joined the association in
December, as well as Stan and Margaret Kmiotek who
have been members since the association was formed 26
years ago.
Many SWBMAI members were part of the impressively
large audience the night of the concert, including
representatives of several SWBMAI member bands there
to check out the Punch Brother's fabled instrumental
virtuosity.
Thile, who has been called "possibly the most talented
American ever to play the mandolin," led the quintet
through two sets of bluegrass-inflected new accoustic
music. The performance featured many of Thiles own
songs, demonstrating his strength as a lyricist as well as
an instrumentalist. Bassist Paul Kowert, who joined the
group this fall, is a Madison native and received enthusiastic attention as a native son. He was featured in his
own impressive solo.
This concert was sponsored by the Wisconsin Union
Directorate. Support was also given by the Wisconsin
Arts Board, ETC, Maximum Ink, The Onion, Wisconsin
Union Theater Endowment Fund, WORT 89.9 FM, and
Wisconsin Public Radio.
Fireball Mail/ March - April '10
13
Book a Member Band
Above the Town – Jerry Loughney; 262-510-1128, jerry@
abovethetown.com
Alzen Family Bluegrass Band – Brad Alzen; 715-749-3977, bwalzen@pressenter.com
Art Stevenson & High Water – Art Stevenson; 715-884-6996, artstevenson@tds.net
Big Cedar – Marty Burch 262-338-6954 or Keith Keehn; 262- 338-0538, mdrbears@aol.com
Cream City Bluegrass and Gospel Music – Harvey Riekoff; 262-497-3024, tjbanjo@wi.rr.com, http://creamcitybluegrass.net
Down from the Hills – Pat Downing; 608-527-2472, downhome@tds.net
eleike – Michael Bell; 608-238-2223, mike@michaelmbell.net, www.michaelmbell.net/eleike-presskit.htm
The Front Porch Boys – Tom Nowlin; 262-719-2991, dr_geo_@
yahoo.com, www.frontporchboys.com
The Henhouse Prowlers – Ryan Hinshaw; 847-924-5298,
contact@henhouseprowlers.com
The High 48s – Eric Christopher; 651-271-4392, eric@
thehigh48s.com
Jefferson County Bluegrass Band – Dale Ward; 608-712-8054,
http://jeffersoncountybluegrass.com
Kristy Larson Honky Tonk Trio – Kristy Larson 608-255-4427; larsonk@chorus.net, www.kristylarson.com
Liberty Bluegrass Band – James Brocksmith; 414-803-7477,
www.libertybluegrass.com
Monroe Crossing – Art Blackburn; 763-213-1349, art@
monroecrossing.com
New Bad Habits – Chirps Smith; chirpsdot@aol.com
Nob Hill Boys – John Fabke; 608-635 8961; johnfabke@hotmail.
com, www.nobhillboys.com
Northern Comfort – Tony Hozeny; 608-215-7676, thozeny46@
sbcglobal.net
Oak Street Ramblers – Jeff Schoen; 608-669-3991, kunklej@gmail.com
Old Cool – Dan Hildebrand; 608-836-3045, danraster@gmail.
com, www.oldcoolmusic.com
'Round the Bend – Fred Newmann; 608-238-6863, fnewmann@ wisc.edu
Spare Time Bluegrass Band – Bobby Batyko; 608-575-9945, bbatyko1@tds.net
SweetGrass – Trent Cuthbert; 608-658-6353, sweetgrasspickin@
gmail.com, www.myspace.com/sweetgrasspickin
Tangled Roots – Marty Marrone; 651-295-1376, marty@tangled
rootsbluegrass.com
Truman's Ridge – Bruce Wallace; 815-603-1441, trumansridge@
yahoo.com
Turtle Creek Ramblers – Dave & Michelle Wilson; 608-361-0770, www.turtlecreekramblers.com
Wooden Bridges Bluegrass Band – Rich Schwartz; 262-719-3549, http://home.wi.rr.com/woodenbridges/
The Fireball Mail is a publication of the Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association, Inc. Visit our web site at www.swbmai.org
Send change of address to:
Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass
Music Association Inc.
P.O. Box 7761 Madison, WI 53707-7761
Attn: Fireball Mail
our ball Maile. rship!
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Las ew You
Ren Inside.
See
Pam Martz and grandson AJ prove that Fritz &
Donna's Orfordville jam is for all ages and abilities!
photo by Dave Nance