Bill Evans and Megan Lynch have released their debut CD together, entitled let’s do something….

The eleven track CD  was produced by Stephen Mougin of The Sam Bush Band and features only fiddles, banjos and vocals.

It has unique versions of songs by the likes of Van Morrison, Nick Drake and Mark Knopfler, as well as a couple of original instrumentals written by Bill.

Banjo player Bill and fiddler Megan are well known to UK fans having taught at Sore Fingers and toured here twice in 2008. They are planning to return to Britain later this year.

The album is available now on CD or as a download from CDBaby.com, where you can also listen to samples.

For more info about Bill and Megan, please visit their myspace.

The Toy Hearts have revamped their website for the new year.

The new look site, toyhearts.co.uk, includes up-to-date news and gig listings, biographies of the band members, sound clips, photos, videos and merchandise.

The band had a successful 2008 with appearances in Europe and the US and already have a busy 2009 lined up with plenty of gigs scheduled in the UK, France and Germany.

For more info, please see their band page.

ukbluegrass would like to wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for your support during 2008.

It has been a great year for British bluegrass with new releases, tours, festivals and many other successes.

A whole host of UK bands have released CDs this year, including debuts from New Essex Bluegrass Band, Wood Wire and Words and Monroe’s Revenge, plus second albums from the Toy Hearts, A Band Like Alice, Rabbi John and Southern Tenant Folk Union.

Despite being separated by thousands of miles, the four members of transatlantic supergroup (more) Growling Old Men used the wonders of modern technology to create an album together, entitled Shuttle Diplomacy.

The Thunderbridge Bluegrass Boys released what is thought to be the first ever British bluegrass DVD, Four on the Floor,  which includes a live performance and lots of extras.

Bluegrass has received plenty of television and radio exposure with teenage duo Jaywalkers reaching the final of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award and The Carrivick Sisters being voted through to the quarter-finals of the BBC Three talent show Upstaged.

On the international front, the Toy Hearts have had big success, winning second place at the La Roche-sur-Foron festival in France and showcasing at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Nashville. The Carrivick Sisters toured Canada during the summer, and Papa Truck took bluegrass to the former Soviet bloc, playing at the Vilnius Bluegrass Festival and on live television in Lithuania.

The festivals this year have attracted top names from around the world. There were plenty of North American bands on display with Cadillac Sky headlining at Didmarton, Brother Mule at the Wharf and Special Consensus at North Wales and Guildtown. Dick Smith and Mike O’Reilly performed at Orwell whilst Cornwall had both Hungry Hill and The Whitetop Mountain Band on show.

Europe was well represented with Swedish band G2 playing at Orwell and Coastline. Fellow Swedes Hillfillies played at Didmarton whilst Sons of Navarone travelled from Belgium to play at Coastline and Mickleham. Lluis Gomez brought his six-piece quintet over from Spain for a great reception at the Cornish festival.

Check out our photos section and YouTube channel for a look back at what has been a top year for UK bluegrass. Here’s hoping for more of the same in 2009!

Former Nickel Creeker Sara Watkins releases her debut solo CD in April.

The self-titled album features 14 tracks, many of which were penned by Sara, along with covers of songs by the likes of John Hartford, Norman Blake and Jimmie Rodgers.

Joining Sara on the album are Nickel Creek bandmates Sean Watkins and Chris Thile, plus Tim O’Brien, Ronnie McCoury, Chris Eldridge, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings.

The CD, which will be released on April 6th on Nonesuch Records, was produced by John Paul Jones. “John was an absolute dream to work with,” says Sara. “I can’t imagine anyone else with whom I would have felt more confident or comfortable. I think his undeniable musicianship and kindness made the ensemble on each song sound like a band that had played together for years.”

For more details, visit Sara’s website.

The Friends of American Old-Time Music and Dance (FOAOTMAD) have announced details of their 2009 festival.

The event will run between February 13th - 15th and will be headlined by the Virginian band The New Ballard’s Branch Bogtrotters. British bands on the bill include Old Yeller Dog, The Foundlings from South Wales and The Coffin Dodgers of Devon.

The weekend will be packed full of activites besides the concerts, with workshops for fiddle, banjo, guitar, dancing and even shape-note singing on offer. There will also be an open stage, a slow jam for beginners and square dancing.

The festival is held at the Trent Valley Academy in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire with camping (indoors and outdoors) available on site. Tickets are £40 or £30 for members of FOAOTMAD and the BBMA.

For full information please visit the FOAOTMAD website.

The tutor line up for the 2009 Sore Fingers Week has been confirmed.

Ron Block, Mike Marshall and Darrell Scott are some of the top names that will be teaching at the bluegrass and old-time camp next April.

The camp is a week-long residential course held at Kingham Hill School near Chipping Norton, and is open to players of all abilities from complete novices to professional musicians.

It takes place between 13th and 17th April and offers 5 days of class tuition plus the opportunity to form scratch bands, plenty of jamming and concerts featuring the teaching staff.

The full teaching line-up is:

• Ron Block - bluegrass banjo
• Greg Cahill - bluegrass banjo
• Mike Marshall - mandolin
• Eric Uglum - guitar
• Casey Driessen - bluegrass fiddle
• Darrell Scott - songwriting
• Eric Thorin - bass
• Jimmy Heffernan - dobro
• John Lowell - singing
• Joe Newberry - old-time banjo
• John Herrmann - old-time fiddle
• Karen Mueller - autoharp
• Stuart Williams - beginners class (all instruments)

For more details and to book your place, please visit the Sore Fingers website.

The BBC have created a new website for the 2009 Young Folk Award, which included Jaywalkers amongst the finalists.

The mini-site includes news, photos and reaction from the final which took place on 5th December in London. You can also listen to Mike Harding’s Radio 2 show which features highlights from the event.

Jaywalkers performed exceptionally well on the night and were unlucky not to win. The winners, Megan and Joe Henwood, have earnt a recording session with Radio 2 plus appearances at several folk festivals next year including Cambridge.

For full info please visit the Young Folk Award website.

Canadian banjo player Jayme Stone visits the UK in January with what promises to be a rather unique and breathtaking show.

The Africa to Appalachia tour takes Jayme to Celtic Connections in Glasgow, plus a plethora of dates across Scotland and England.

Describing himself as a banjo-playing composer, his music is the product of extensive studies with maestros such as Tony Trischka and Bela Fleck, and a recent tour of Mali to seek out the origins of the banjo. You’ll hear all of these influences in his music, and this latest project sees him touring with kora player Mansa Sissoko, Paul Mathew on bass and Nick Fraser on percussion.

Check out his page in our band directory for links and tour dates.

The final of this year’s BBC Young Folk Award, featuring bluegrass duo Jaywalkers, will be broadcast on Radio 2 tomorrow (10th).

The final took place in London on the 5th December, and highlights can be heard during Mike Harding’s show on Radio 2 at 7pm. The show will also be available on-line at the Radio 2 website.

For more info about the competition, please visit the Young Folk Award website.

Cardiff’s Boomswinger Bluegrass Club hosts its Christmas party on December 19th at the Mackintosh Institute.

The evening is a free, informal affair, with a jam session hosted by members of Cardiff’s newest bluegrass-influenced band The Monty Dons, who describe their music as a bluegrass/punk/pop/acoustic fusion. They also claim a love of malt, and that bluegrass music has its origins in south Wales, although we suspect these claims may be somehow related.

The club has also lined-up some of its acts for 2009, with Buffalo Gals booked for January 16th. Tickets for that will be available at the Christmas party, or the Spice of Life in Cardiff thereafter, priced at £7.