Canadian bluegrass trailblazer Tammy Fassaert lights up the stage and draws in the audience with her powerful energy and humorous candour. Playing guitar since age 8,
Tammy adds texture and variety to her lively shows with versatile guitar accompaniment that is by turns rhythmic and punchy or melodic and pretty.
Long-time fans of bluegrass will be familiar with Tammy for her work with Laurie Lewis, John Reischman, Sally Van Meter, Scott Nygaard, Doug Cox and more.
"She's incorporated all manner of sophisticated and earthy American musical influences in her into her own superb vocal style." - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine.
This enduring band returns once again to provide an assortment of traditional bluegrass, folk and country sounds.
Other bands may be more famous, or more handsome, but few groups have lasted as long as these guys.
They'll have some new tunes on display, as well as select numbers from a 25-year repertoire. Their music is always engaging and entertaining, still stubbornly in the bluegrass groove.
Alan Law (guitar), Mike Kraft (banjo), George Robinson (bass), Dan Parker (mandolin), and Larry Stevens (dobro)
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
We will collect canned or packaged goods, gently used (or new) clothes (particularly warm outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels.
We also accept financial donations. Besides cash, you can write a cheque payable to the
Mustard Seed. Any amount over $25 will be provided with a tax receipt
from the Mustard Seed.
Doug Van Dine, Master of Musical Merriment, will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Bring music-related items, or something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item. CDs and magazines will be offered for sale on a
separate table.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite savoury or sweet finger food to share; your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:00 pm Note the early start time. The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:30pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $5 general, $3 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
A Seasonal Benefit in support of Our Place Society
John Reischman and the Jaybirds return for the
acclaimed band's annual Christmas concert. This year's event will
feature new music from the band's upcoming album, plus a recently commissioned Reischman concerto with special guest Patrick M'Gonigle.
From his early days with the Tony Rice Unit in the '80s,
John Reischman has collected a Grammy Award and three Juno nominations for
his impressive output of recordings, including seven with The Jaybirds,
four solo instrumental albums, and numerous other projects and sessions.
This annual Christmas concert is often a sellout, with a portion of the
proceeds going to Our Place Society, which supports Victoria's most
vulnerable populations.
This year's lineup includes the talented guitarist
Patrick Sauber (Doc Watson, Richard Greene, Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien and
John Fogerty); twice-Juno-nominated banjoist Nick Hornbuckle, whose
playing has been called "downright spine-tingling" (LA Daily News); fiddle
player Patrick M'Gonigle; bassist
Trish Gagnon's "lilting, gorgeous voice" (Bluegrass Unlimited); and
John Reischman, "one of the world's undisputed masters of the mandolin"
(Bluegrass Unlimited).
$5 of every ticket sold will be donated to Our Place Society,
which supports Greater Victoria's most vulnerable communities including the working poor,
impoverished elderly, mentally and physically challenged, the addicted and the homeless.
Doors open 7:00pm, show at 7:30pm.
Advance tickets recommended, as this show often sells out.
Sue Malcolm (guitar and vocals), Don Fraser (guitar, dobro and vocals), and Stu MacDonald (bass and vocals) serve up a spicy gumbo of bluegrass, country,
swing and originals. Don Fraser's dazzling instrumental abilities and inventive arrangements are legendary. Their varied repertoire offers something for everyone,
and they're full of surprises. Top that off with killer vocals and that's a recipe for fun!
Special guest: Michael Burnyeat (fiddle). He is a two-time BC fiddle champion, six-time finalist at
the Canadian Grandmasters, and two-time Traditional Grand North American
fiddle champion. He plays with numerous bands throughout BC and Canada,
including accompanying David Francey as well as opening for
Sharon Shannon and Sarah McLachlan.
For this show, they will focus on their bluegrass repertoire. Not so much j*zz !
Back again for another feature show, this is a high energy bluegrass band influenced by deep connections to old-time and swing.
Their spine-tingling harmonies and rapid fire pickin' can't hide that they're storytellers at heart, and always ready for a foot-stomping good time.
Hoss Mountain Stringband is a six-piece juggernaut of bluegrass energy. Paul Moquin (guitar),
Kris Boyd (mandolin), Josh Miszczak (fiddle), Mark Johnson (bass), Mike Kraft (banjo) and Alan Law (dobro).
We are super stoked to present Scout Mountain for our first Feature for the 2024/25 Season.
Scout Mountain began fifteen years ago and play a mix of hard driving bluegrass classics, sentimental ballads mixed with original material and tunes from contemporary song writers.
The band members include, Max Pagani (Mandolin), Monica Behan Pagani (Fiddle), Bill Smith (Banjo), Murray Smith (Bass) and Steve Kulusic (Guitar).
Each band member is an experienced singer, providing different combinations for two, three and four part harmonies.
Admission: suggested donation $10 general, $7 for VBA members and open stage performers.
Sunday September 22nd
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop with Scout Mountain Bluegrass Band
What it takes to be a Bluegrass Band
Have you played in a band, want to play in a band, or just want to know what it is like to be in a band ?
After fifteen years together, Scout Mountain has stories to tell and loads of great advice about the challenges facing any group and why it's important to still be having fun.
Part 1: A philosophical look at the jobs and relationships in a band.
Part 2: Honesty, commitment and ethics
Part 3: Divided Labour vs Autocracy (Pros and Cons)
They will also cover all kinds of bluegrass and jamming etiquette. There will be no discussion of picks, strings, or politics!
Admission: $35 general, $30 for VBA members
Coffee/Tea and treats served during the break.
The workshop will be held in a private residence, and the address will be provided in your confirmation.
It's a new season for the VBA. Our regular weekly programming begins Tuesday
September 10th with our hosted Slow Pitch (introductory jam), and Old Time Jam.
We host an hour long beginner jam that is followed by a jam targeted at intermediate players.
There is also a vibrant old time jam held in the large Sunday School room that has ample space for all.
Parking is off Chambers Street and entry is via the side door off the parking lot.
Start time is 7:30 pm ending at 9:45 (sharp!)
Jam fees are now $3 for members, $5 for non members, and listeners by donation.
Barny and Linda Hiney are graciously hosting Backyard Bluegrass Jams this summer on the following dates:
June 25
July 02, 23, 30
Aug 06, 13, 20
Address is 1528 Davie Street.
On street parking. Enter via the gate on the left as you walk up the sidewalk to the front door.
All welcome: Bring your instrument and a picking' chair. There is a gazebo, and bathroom facilities. Grinners are welcome, but please bring seating. Coffee, tea and cookies available for a donation. Treat contributions will be graciously accepted.
For further information, Barny's cell is (250) 889-85 five zero or email: barnyhiney at hotmail.com
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in serving on the board, or in any other active way,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has Other Business they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Victoria Pang.
Only current members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting. Everyone gets cake too !
During the afternoon before their evening concert (see below), Under The Rocks will be leading a couple of workshops.
1:30pm - Singing in Harmony
Learn how to sing harmony in a bluegrass band setting. We will discuss how
to find harmony lines and arrange tunes with those beautiful four parts
you hear on the recordings.
This is very helpful even for jams. You will learn how to find unique and
tasteful harmonies in songs with a group that does it a lot!
All ages and skill levels welcome.
3:30pm - Song Arrangement & Innovation
They will discuss and demonstrate how they use their differences as strengths, through their
approach to arranging songs together. They will lead the group in
re-imagining and arranging a standard tune in real time, that everyone can
then play together.
All instruments and all ages welcome.
The workshops will be held in a private residence in the Broadmead area. Address will be
provided upon registration.
Each workshop is a 90 minute session.
Fees: One workshop VBA Members $25 / General $30 both workshops VBA Members $40 / General $50
Light snacks will be available between 3:00 to 3:30.
We are super excited to present this Kelowna-based bluegrass
band for a special concert. Under The Rocks has emerged as one of Canada's premier
bluegrass bands. This concert is part of their tour for their newly
released album Honest Try. The band was selected by Wintergrass
Music Festival as the 2024 Spark Band, which recognizes up-and-coming
bluegrass musicians.
The band features Jordan Klassen (guitar), Chloe Davidson (fiddle), Chris
Baxter (banjo and mandolin) and Nils Loewen (bass). Their big
sound tips its cap to tradition while incorporating singer-songwriter
original music.
With joyful hoots
and hollers, clever and inventive song arrangements, instrumental breaks
and powerful vocal harmonies, Under the Rocks Band lays out heartfelt,
talented string music with uplifting and entertaining energy.
Our regular jams (bluegrass and old time) will be cancelled for this
special concert.
Doors open: 7:30pm
Showtime: 7:45pm.
Intermission: 9:00pm. Coffee/Tea and selection of baked treats will be
offered.
They had to cancel their March show, but they are back now in April !
Story House is four musicians who have been active in the Pacific Northwest Bluegrass and Folk scene for a good long time.
Their show features many original songs and tunes, mixed with covers of great songs both old and new.
Though all four members of the band sing, Jake and Maiken's arresting duet singing is the cornerstone of the band's vocal sound.
Maiken de Villiers's (bass) sweet singing and powerful songwriting have won her fans from BC to Hawaii.
Maiken contributes many strong original songs to the repertoire.
Jake de Villiers (guitar) solos in a style all his own and his propulsive rhythm keeps the band ticking along.
Jake does most of the arranging for the band.
Tim Eccles (banjo) keeps the band moving, no matter the tempo or time signature. He also contributes many fine originals to the band.
Pete Goodall (mandolin) has an uncanny ability to find the heart of a song and embrace it with his tasteful playing.
Among the many styles incorporated into Dylan Stone's music, Bluegrass is
a genre that touches all the way back to the roots of what he loves. For
this special one-time only performance he has enlisted some of Vancouver
Islands best bluegrass players, who are steeped in the genre. Expect to
hear original songs from his catalogue with The Unfaithful Servants, along
with bluegrass tunes that have inspired him along the way.
Joining Dylan will be: Jesse Cobb (mandolin), Jeff Ellis (bsss), Mike
Kraft (banjo), Quin Etheridge (fiddle).
Stone was nominated in 2020 for a Canadian Folk Music Award (New/Emerging
Group) with his band The Unfaithful Servants. An honest musician who plays and sings from the
heart, Dylan is a restless songwriter who is constantly pursuing new
songs, sounds and collaborations. Stone has lived across Canada
and toured the West Coast extensively. He is a modern-day troubadour who
is most at home on stage with guitar in hand.
The Mighty Teardrops are a Vancouver based bluegrass quintet who serve up gorgeous traditional music with drive and sweetness.
Singer/guitarist Lorraine Cobb and singer/bassist Woody Bell Junior provide haunting, tightly wound harmonies while fiddler Josh Zubot,
mandolinist Mark Vaughan and banjo man Devon Wells lend soaring breaks and tasty fills.
Their live show has been a hit at bluegrass festivals and taverns alike, leaving audiences thrilled by the songs,
the showmanship and the devastating licks.
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
We will collect canned or packaged goods, gently used (or new) clothes (particularly warm outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels.
We also accept financial donations. Besides cash, you can write a cheque payable to the
Mustard Seed. Any amount over $25 will be provided with a tax receipt
from the Mustard Seed.
Doug Van Dine, Master of Musical Merriment, will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Bring music-related items, or something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item. CDs and magazines will be offered for sale on a
separate table.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite savoury or sweet finger food to share; your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:00 pm Note the early start time. The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:30pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
A Seasonal Benefit in support of Our Place Society
The grand master of the mandolin returns to Victoria with his acclaimed
band The Jaybirds for a special night of music in the spirit of the
Christmas season.
From his early days with the Tony Rice Unit in the '80s,
John Reischman has collected a Grammy Award and three Juno nominations for
his impressive output of recordings, including seven with The Jaybirds,
four solo instrumental albums, and numerous other projects and sessions.
His annual Christmas concert is often a sellout, with a portion of the
proceeds going to Our Place Society, which supports Victoria's most
vulnerable populations.
This year's lineup includes the talented guitarist
Patrick Sauber (Doc Watson, Richard Greene, Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien and
John Fogerty); twice-Juno-nominated banjoist Nick Hornbuckle, whose
playing has been called "downright spine-tingling" (LA Daily News); fiddle
player Patrick M'Gonigle; bassist
Trish Gagnon's "lilting, gorgeous voice" (Bluegrass Unlimited); and
John Reischman, "one of the world's undisputed masters of the mandolin"
(Bluegrass Unlimited).
$5 of every ticket sold will be donated to Our Place Society,
which supports Greater Victoria's most vulnerable communities including the working poor,
impoverished elderly, mentally and physically challenged, the addicted and the homeless.
Doors open 7:00pm, show at 7:30pm.
Advance tickets recommended, as this show often sells out.
A mutual affinity for traditional music brought Jamie Proctor
and Dan Kovacek together. They met in the Vancouver
bluegrass scene where they became fast friends and
founding members of Stardust Stringband. Their exposure to
bluegrass, country, and old-time led the pair to develop a
natural fluidity in arranging music - switching between guitar,
mandolin, banjo, and fiddle.
As a duo, Dan and Jamie pay homage to the "brother duet"
style of close harmony singing, backed by straight-ahead
melodic arrangements. While their repertoire is primarily
traditional, their original songs fit comfortably in a world that
encompasses old-time, country, and bluegrass. They are
excited to share their music on the VBA stage.
Once again, into the breach, ride the
Clover Point Drifters.
Victoria's original bluegrass tribe will grace our Hallowe'en stage with songs old and songs new.
Yup, Hallowe'en. Past shows on this auspicious day have seen them in costumes both tailored and makeshift.
Now, as time grinds its unrelenting way into their ancient personages, scaring the younger folk comes naturally. Disguises are no longer required.
They'll have some new tunes on display, as well as select numbers from a 23-year repertoire. Their music is always engaging and entertaining, still stubbornly in the bluegrass groove.
Alan Law (guitar), Mike Kraft (banjo), George Robinson (bass), Dan Parker (mandolin), and Larry Stevens (dobro)
As molecules in constant motion keep bumping into each other, so too do
the current members of Hardly Handsome. Bill and Craig used to jam with a
mutual friend in Calgary. Then Bill played in the Highpoint Bluegrass Band
in Edmonton with Lee. Then Bill played with Craig in Nomad Jones. Bill met
Mick when he moved to Victoria and they've enjoyed jamming together ever
since. Now they all live in Victoria and are quite happy to be bringing
their bluegrass favourites to the VBA.
Hardly /Handsome is Bill Humby on vocals and guitar, Mick Baker on
mandolin and vocals, Lee Foote on banjo and vocals and Craig Korth on bass
and vocals.
It's a new season for the VBA. Our regular weekly programming begins Tuesday
September 5th with our hosted Slow Pitch (introductory jam), and Old Time Jam.
Start time is unchanged from 7:45 pm ending at 9:45 (sharp!) There has been some interest in starting and ending earlier
and we will poll jam attendees in the three September sessions to identify the interest level.
We host an hour long beginner jam that is followed by a jam targeted at intermediate players.
There is also a vibrant old time jam held in the large Sunday School room that has ample space for all.
Parking is off Chambers Street and entry is via the side door off the parking lot.
Jam fees are still ridiculously low. $2 for members, $3 for non members and listeners by donation.
Playfair park is closer to town than last year's venue and also has facilities.
Due to costs the VBA has not reserved a specific spot but there are several suitable locations within the park to play music.
Our first choice of locations in the park to hold our jam will be near the parking lot off Rock Street.
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in serving on the board, or in any other active way,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has Other Business they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Victoria Pang.
Only current members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting. Everyone gets cake too !
Riverside Bluegrass Band is an extraordinary bluegrass band comprised of some of the best bluegrass musicians in BC.
They are talented, energetic, exciting, and fun to watch. We are certain everyone will enjoy their fresh new sound!
Danny Eberhardt (guitar and vocals) hails from the plains of Alberta. He moved out to Victoria back in 2018 and began attending the weekly jams hosted by the Victoria Bluegrass Association.
There, he found a love for the music, some new lifelong friends, and a whole lotta good times. His voice is high and lonesome, and he picks like his old cowboy heroes.
Steve Harrison (banjo) learned to play banjo at the Victoria Bluegrass Association slow-pitch jam starting back in 2006.
Since then, he has appeared in a number of groups on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan. He currently resides in Penticton BC.
Tad Ruszel's (mandolin, guitar and vocals) inspirational lyrics and heart-warming guitar and mandolin melodies have been catching the ear and enthusiasm of thousands across the northwest coast.
From music festivals to cafes, street corners to house concerts, his performances are enthusiastic and engaging whether playing his original repertoire or bluegrass material with friends.
With special guest Larry Stevens (dobro, vocals).
Backing up these talented musicians, hard-driving Eric Adams (bass, vocals) has been on the bluegrass scene for over 30 years.
He's played with numerous bands including the New Nash Ramblers, winners of the BC Country Music Bluegrass Performers of the Year.
Cluny Macpherson is a true original. He has traveled across Canada by
bus, rail and thumb. His songs have been described as perfect and
timeless. He writes about Sudbury, globalization, tragedy and his
daughter. And, he makes a mean hollandaise. He can play the guitar, banjo,
bass and mandolin.
He has performed with
Canadian Country Music Award nominee and Independent Music
Award recipient Ridley Bent, Grammy nominee Jesse Cobb, and a plethora of others.
He played upright bass on Vancouver folk duo Twin Bandit's acclaimed 2015 release For
You on Nettwerk Records.
He released his first solo
project, Country Squall, in 2015 and is currently working on his next full
length release with Fiddlehead Studios producer Adam Iredale-Gray, due out
in October 2023. You'll find him in Victoria, BC hanging with his band
Country Squall, or his other bands, The Garden City Gang, Holler, Uncle
Whiskey, and The Sweet Buddies.
Cluny will be joined by veterans Dan Weisenburger (mandolin, guitar),
Nick Mitenko (bass) and Tyler Lieb (slide guitar). These are some of
Victoria's best musicians and they're excited to share Cluny's
latest batch of songs from his upcoming album as well as a treasure trove
of bluegrass and country classics.
It promises to be a unique and
entertaining evening. Don't miss it!
In our local woodlands, "old growth" refers to the senior trees which act as hubs to support the younger trees by sharing resources and information via an amazing underground network.
There's no doubt Andy and Mike have the breadth of experience that makes their name appropriate. Old Growth's roots in Canadian and Island traditions run deep.
They have a repertoire of original west coast compositions that reflect life with sincerity and humour. Between them they have released 5 CDs.
Lead singer/guitarist Andy Ruszel's songs have been recorded by Juno Award winner Charlotte Diamond and Canadian Country Music Award winners Whiskey Hollow.
They have also been covered by the Rovers and Penny Pom Pom. He has played in a variety of West Coast bands, including Cowichan valley favorites Seadog,
Nanaimo sweethearts, Jellyroll and the very humorous Andrews and Lawrence.
Mike Sadava on mandolin and guitar has played in more bands than he can remember, performing in some of the top clubs and festivals in western Canada.
He has played on more than a dozen albums as a backup musician as well as two of his own. He has been a feature musician everywhere from the Edmonton Folk Festival,
numerous bluegrass festivals to the Chateau Victoria, and many places in between.
From melancholy reflections on life in the 21st century to humorous songs about aging and canoes, all done with a bluegrass feel, Old Growth are sure to make you laugh,
cry, swing and then sing along. Sure to be a great night - please come join us.
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
We will collect canned or packaged goods, gently used (or new) clothes (particularly warm outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels.
We also accept financial donations. Besides cash, you can write a cheque payable to the
Mustard Seed. Any amount over $25 will be provided with a tax receipt
from the Mustard Seed.
Doug Van Dine, Master of Musical Merriment, will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Bring music-related items, or something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item. CDs and magazines will be offered for sale on a
separate table.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite savoury or sweet finger food to share; your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
*** Rescheduled to January 3rd ***
Doors open: 7:00 pm Note the early start time. The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:30pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
A Seasonal Benefit in support of Our Place Society
John Reischman and the Jaybirds return to Victoria for what Bluegrass
Unlimited Magazine calls "some of the finest bluegrass and traditional
music on the scene today". Their annual Bluegrass Christmas is not your
typical Christmas concert, but rather a a unique offering of traditional
music in keeping with the spirit of the season.
The multiple award-winning band members include the talented guitarist
Patrick Sauber (Doc Watson, Richard Greene, Peter Rowan, Tim O'Brien and
John Fogerty); twice-Juno-nominated banjoist Nick Hornbuckle, whose
playing has been called "downright spine-tingling" (LA Daily News); fiddle
player Greg Spatz("immensely talented" - Audiophile Audition); bassist
Trish Gagnon's "lilting, gorgeous voice" (Bluegrass Unlimited); and
John Reischman, "one of the world's undisputed masters of the mandolin"
(Bluegrass Unlimited).
$5 of every ticket sold will be donated to Our Place Society,
which supports Greater Victoria's most vulnerable communities including the working poor,
impoverished elderly, mentally and physically challenged, the addicted and the homeless.
Doors open 6:30pm, show at 7:30pm.
Advance tickets recommended, as this show often sells out.
It was March of 2022 and the VBA jam sessions had finally started again
after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. It felt like everyone was
awakening from a long slumber and was starved to play music together again! This
was the inspiration behind the creation of the Hoss Mountain Stringband.
It all started at an early spring jam when Paul Moquin (guitar) and
Larry White (banjo) and Simon Posluns (dobro) sat down to play together for
the first time. Paul and Simon both recall that Larry played not one, or
two but three jam-buster tunes in that first jam! But, it was obvious to
both Paul and Simon that Larry was the perfect match for them. They later
learned that Larry had recently moved back to BC, after living for
many years in Charlottesville, Virginia, and was a bonified bluegrass
picker with credentials too long to list here.
Later, to the chagrin of the Old Time jam circle, the trio poached one of their star fiddlers,
Josh Miszczak, to join them in their bluegrass shenanigans.
And so, from these raw ingredients comes a new band that brings an
eclectic mix of both old and new bluegrass, woven together with deep
connections to old-time and swing music. The final touch came when
locally renowned jazz bassist, Mark Johnson, joined the band and became the
fifth Hoss.
Special guest Kris Boyd (mandolin) will also be performing with the
band.
Canadian bluegrass trailblazer Tammy Fassaert lights up the stage and draws in the audience with her powerful energy and humorous candour. Playing guitar since age 8,
Tammy adds texture and variety to her lively shows with versatile guitar accompaniment that is by turns rhythmic and punchy or melodic and pretty.
Long-time fans of bluegrass will be familiar with Tammy for her work with Laurie Lewis, John Reischman, Sally Van Meter, Scott Nygaard, Doug Cox and more.
We celebrate her return to the music scene after a busy career in the field of health care. Welcome back, Tammy.
"She's incorporated all manner of sophisticated and earthy American musical influences in her into her own superb vocal style." - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine.
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers.
Tuesday October 25th
2:00pm
Location TBA
Vocal Harmony Workshop with Tammy Fassaert
Singing in harmony is one of the great human joys. You don't need to be
an expert to learn the basics of vocal harmony and how to "find" the
harmony line.
Tammy has been playing and performing bluegrass since 1986. She toured and
recorded with Laurie Lewis and the Good Ol' Persons, before launching
her solo career in the early 1990. She's performed all over western
Europe, as well as Japan and Taiwan. She's taught
many bass, guitar and singing lessons, most recently at Nimblefingers in
2022. Her classes are energetic, challenging, and fun! We're pleased to
see her back in the bluegrass scene and very pleased that she can present
a workshop.
All skill levels welcome, it will be ideal for anyone who can carry a
tune. You'll be doing a whole lot of lead and harmony singing in
a safe, supportive, inclusive setting.
The workshop will be held in a private residence in the Broadmead area. Address will be
provided upon registration.
Honey Run comes from California to bring us a fun mix of original folk music, bright picking and playing, and lively old bluegrass tunes.
Beautiful harmonies by Owen Ragland and Kat Baker are complemented by fiddle, mandolin, and guitar.
The full sound that accompanies the thoughtful lyrics and catchy melodies of Kat's songs ranges from tender to downright fun.
Their blend of oldtimey roots, americana sounds, and country picking truly creates a unique experience.
It's a new season for the VBA. Our regular programming begins Tuesday
September 6th with our hosted Slow Pitch (introductory jam), Old Time Jam
and Advanced Jam.
The Island's longest-running Bluegrass Festival is both relieved and excited to return to its normal place, time, and format.
The lineup includes: Lester, Swain, Hernandez & Cobb (Vancouver Island);
Scout Mountain (Powell River);
Story House (Vancouver);
BackSpin (Vancouver);
All In Good Time (Langley);
BackPorch Banjo (Coombs);
Branch 11, Coombs Old Time Fiddlers (Coombs)
VBA members get a $10.00 reduction on their weekend passes - show your card at the gate.
Early Camping: Saturday July 23 until Friday July 29 at 10am. Festival Camping: Friday July 29 10am until Monday August 01 noon. Post-Festival Camping: Monday August 01 noon through Aug 07.
Make it a Family Camping Vacation (at fees you can afford !)
Every Tuesday starting June 21st
at Emily Carr Park
Summer Evening Bluegrass Jams
Come out to play (or listen) to the jamming circle which starts at 7:00 pm.
Bring a chair, a small donation (suggest $2), an instrument if you play and let's have a great time.
After two years away due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival returns to Laketown Ranch Music Park at Lake Cowichan
June 17 to 19.
The lineup is almost entirely Canadian and includes Juno winners Pharis
and Jason Romero; bluegrass/old-time stalwarts The Lonesome Ace
Stringband; Toronto's The Barrel Boys; Vancouver traditional bluegrass
purists The Lonesome Town Painters; the new pan-Canadian band Happy
Trails, Prospector; singer-songwriter Eli West; Country Squall; Old Paint;
Tammy Fassaert; Ella Korth; local country rockabilly duo Slim Sandy and
the festival's signature Saturday night square dance with caller Paul
Silveria. More artists to be
announced.
New on site this year is a small chapel for intimate concerts and
workshops; larger jam tents; mid-campground water and sanitation stations,
and a festival kitchen with healthy options.
Workshops and mini-concerts include:
Fiddle Frenzy with John Showman, Patrick M'Gonigle, Nathan Smith and Miriam Sonstenes
The Grass Ceiling: Women in Bluegrass with Pharis Romero and Tammy Fassaert
Sugar in the Gourd: Banjo with Jason Romero, Eli West and Chris Coole
Bluegrass Karaoke, where you can get up a sing with one of the festival's headliners as a backing band
Anytime is Old-time
plus a post-bluegrass acoustic Country/Rockabilly session.
If that wasn't enough, there is jamming in the campground all weekend long, and the guitar raffle is back,.
For an additional one-night camping fee you can arrive early on Thursday
and pick with The Barrel Boys as campgound jam hosts.
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in serving on the board, or in any other active way,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has Other Business they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Victoria Pang.
Only current members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting. Everyone gets cake too !
The meeting will be followed by a band scramble, so don't forget to bring your instruments.
The Victoria Bluegrass Association is kicking off our concert programming with an epic award-winning band.
The Special Consensus sound is grounded in a deep appreciation and understanding of bluegrass music;
the infectious band sound reminds people of the past while utilizing the innovations of today.
The band is headed by Greg Cahill who brings his unique banjo playing style and is joined by Dan Eubanks (bass) and the newest members,
Greg Blake (guitar) known for his distinctive vocals, and Michael Prewitt (mandolin).
They're already releasing new material with the single Blackbird written by Canada's own JP Cormier.
These four talented vocalists and instrumentalists follow their creative desires without straying too far from their roots.
Special C's continued success is a testament to their adaptability and contemporary appeal.
Come and see this accomplished band on their northwest tour.
All who are weary, emerge from your slumbers, smell anew the fresh ocean breeze from Clover Point. It is finished, perhaps less fragrant, thereby signalling a new phase for the
Clover Point Drifters.
Victoria's most treatable musical tribe will once again grace our stage with the solid and liquid sounds of traditional bluegrass, songs old and songs new.
Alan Law (guitar), Mike Kraft (banjo), George Robinson (bass), Dan Parker (mandolin), and Larry Stevens (dobro)
have been playing together for over 20 years, and it shows. Let's just call them a mature band.
Their music is always engaging and entertaining, still stubbornly in the bluegrass groove. Come and witness what they have been constructing during these years of confinement.
Ella Korth is a stunningly gifted artist and the VBA is excited to present her for the first time on our stage.
She will be joined by Miles Zurawell, who we already know as one of our stellar local artists.
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers.
By order of the Provincial Health Officer, proof of full vaccination status is required for entry. Masking is optional.
Crowd size is limited and latecomers may be turned away once the occupancy limit is reached.
A Seasonal Benefit in support of Our Place Society
In a unique seasonal music experience, contemporary mandolin master John
Reischman and his renowned band The Jaybirds return to Victoria after a
two-year hiatus with their 12th annual Bluegrass Christmas, in support of
Our Place Society.
Their festive concert, blending bluegrass with the distinct sounds of
Appalachian old-time music, has been described as "a lovely romp through
the snowy backwoods of American roots music."
$5 of every ticket sold will be donated to Our Place Society,
which supports Greater Victoria's most vulnerable communities including the working poor,
impoverished elderly, mentally and physically challenged, the addicted and the homeless.
With his acclaimed new solo album New Time & Old Acoustic,
Reischman offers concert-goers a fresh take on a concert known for beautiful and
evocative ballads spiced by rollicking instrumentals, played by a
powerhouse lineup of some of North America's finest acoustic musicians.
The concert also features new tunes from the Juno-nominated album 13 or So
from banjoist Nick Hornbuckle.
In keeping with B.C. health protocols, proof of double Covid-19
vaccination is required and masks are mandatory.
Seating is limited to 50% of the venue's capacity,
allowing for a safe and comfortable concert experience.
The Black Rabbit Rounders live in Beaver Creek, just north of Port Alberni. With a repertoire of fiddle tunes and old
songs from across Appalachia and the midwest, the Black Rabbit Rounders give
it all they've got and more, playing hard-driving oldtime music in any weather.
Max Evans is an accomplished fiddler who has been playing old-time and bluegrass with his brother Frank Evans since they were young.
Frank went on to play with his Juno-nominated band The Slocan Ramblers, while Max went on to form
The All Day Breakfast Stringband,
an award-winning band two years running at the Appalachian Stringband Festival in Clifftop, West Virginia.
Sarra Evans first met Max through the old time scene in Vancouver and the two have been playing together since.
They are joined by Matt James from The All Day Breakfast Stringband on banjo.
Miriam Sonstenes and Jeff Dill are a familiar couple to the Victoria music community. Both have performed with a variety of bands over the years,
but this duo puts them in an intimate and most traditional setting.
Using the guitar and fiddle as their base and leaping-off point, these two serve up old country songs,
Texas fiddle tunes, square dance music and original songs with grace and style.
With a close and taut blend on classic duets of love and longing, heartfelt songwriting and compelling fiddle tunes old and new, Old Paint Duo delivers a warm and inviting sound,
borne of a deep love of traditional music and contemporary story telling.
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
Also, we will collect canned goods, gently used clothes,
(particularly outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels and last but not least, financial donations.
Doug Van Dine will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Let us know if you have something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite finger food to share
(savoury or sweet); your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:00 pm Note the early start time. The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:30pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
A Seasonal Benefit in support of Our Place Society
In a marketplace flooded with holiday music, John Reischman and The Jaybirds offer something unique - an exploration of the roots of bluegrass and the sounds of old-time Appalachia in a seasonal concert that has been described as "a lovely romp through the snowy backwoods of American roots music."
Led by Vancouver's Grammy-winning mandolinist John Reischman, the band's holiday concert - their 11th annual in Victoria - includes music from the band's 2014 release On A Winter's Night as well as new material from an upcoming album. Included are old carols, ballads, Bill Monroe-style gospel quartets and rollicking instrumentals such as the fiddle-banjo driven Breaking Up Christmas, which refers to an old Appalachian tradition of post-Christmas celebrations lasting into the New Year.
These beautiful and evocative old songs are interpreted through the Jaybirds' stylish take on bluegrass that seamlessly blends original songs and instrumentals with Appalachian old-time music for a truly unique sound. With seven acclaimed albums and two Juno nominations, the Jaybirds are simultaneously innovative and unadorned, sophisticated and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned and 21st-century contemporary.
Joining the band is special guest Trent Freeman, a Juno Award-winning fiddle player with The Fretless, who will bring an added dimension to the evening alongside The Jaybirds' acclaimed fiddler, Gregory Spatz.
Bluegrass Unlimited calls John Reischman "one of the world's undisputed masters of the mandolin", famed for outstanding tone and taste. Many of his dozens of original instrumentals have become popular favourites for sessions and covers, such as the jam standard Saltspring.
He has three critically-acclaimed solo instrumental albums and has recorded on many other projects, including the Grammy-winning True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe. John also plays Latin-based jazz and choro music with highly regarded finger-style acoustic guitarist/composer John Miller; the duo has released three superb albums.
John began his career in the San Francisco Bay area in the early '80s with the eclectic Good Ol' Persons bluegrass band. He was an original member of the legendary new acoustic quartet, the jazz-influenced Tony Rice Unit, renowned for highly skilled instrumentals. John moved to Vancouver in the early '90s and in 1999 formed the Jaybirds. Of their latest album, Folk Radio UK said On That Other Green Shore showcases an accomplished, experienced band at the peak of their powers, with musicianship of the very highest order. Peghead Nation called it one of the most beguiling bluegrass-rooted recordings of 2017.
Doors open 7:00 pm. Advance tickets at Brown Paper Tickets$25 general; $20 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $30 for all.
With the rough waters of the Pacific around them and the wilds of the Canadian North above them, The Sweet Lowdown (Amanda Blied, guitar; Miriam Sonstenes, fiddle;
Tad Ruszel, mandolin) have developed original acoustic roots music that draws from earth and sky. You'll hear influences as far-ranging as Appalachian fiddling,
contemporary pop, Celtic jigs and a blend of driving tradition and ground-breaking originality.
The Sweet Lowdown released their latest album in June 2019, an EP consisting of 6 original songs showcasing skillful songwriting and intricate arrangements. Ranging from folk-pop to bluegrass,
with signature three part harmonies throughout, this album is sure to please long time fans, as well as those hearing them for the first time.
Since first coming together in 2007, The Sweet Lowdown have recorded three full length albums, two EPs, among other projects, received numerous awards and award nominations, toured Canada,
the US and the UK. Highlights include performances at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, Canmore Folk Fest and a tour with Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe in 2015.
Expect to hear much of The Sweet Lowdown's original material with a slight new twist, along with brand new music penned by all three members.
Omie Wise is a local trio who play country, folk, and old-timey music.
Katie McIntyre, Lisa Feeney and Lydia Beauregard all share a love of
harmony singing from love songs to the inevitable murder ballad.
Ever since a life-altering week playing old-time under the midnight sun,
Katie Mac spends all her spare time playing her Martin guitar and dreaming
of harmonies.
Lisa went from dancing to the band to playing guitar and bass for square
dances with YOMADA. She has been on the stage at the VBA with The
Sirens and Pennyless Duo.
Lydia's love of swing dancing, soul, and traditional folk music are what
led her towards the low end on the bass and vocals with Omie Wise.
Wisconsin native Jesse Cobb was a founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters, a Nashville-based powerhouse group. He received a Grammy nomination in 2010
for his original song Magic #9.
He has also recorded on a Grammy-winning project with Jim Lauderdale in 2008, and has won three International Bluegrass Music Awards for Song of The Year, Album of The Year
and Emerging Artist of The Year.
Border Ride also includes Virginia-born Jeff Ellis, a talented, world-champion bassist. Over the years Jeff has played
with several notable bands, including David Parmley and Continental Divide, as well as Marty Raybon and Full Circle.
Miriam Sonstenes, on the fiddle, was trained in classical violin and is well-versed in both Old Time and Bluegrass. She discovered fiddle music while completing a classical
music degree at the University of Victoria. She has spent the last ten years performing, touring, teaching and composing music steeped in folk traditions, with her band The Sweet Lowdown.
Also included in this wonderful group is banjoist Mike Kraft, a mainstay on the Vancouver Island bluegrass scene with a vast knowledge of a variety of styles.
His showmanship, humour and enthusiasm for performing make him a real crowd favourite. Rounding out this
amazing band is singer Garrett Tompson, who grew up in rural B.C. but now makes his home in the Victoria area. His parents introduced him to an array of music styles but it was
bluegrass music that ultimately made the biggest impact on him. He provides rich lead baritone vocals and a strong rhythm guitar.
We have a special open stage for this night. Sign up to
be the lead vocal and have Jesse Cobb and Border Ride be your band.
Similar to a karaoke experience, but better! You'll need to select a
song to perform that is a known standard and they'll add the harmony
lines, unless you already have your harmony team on stage with you. Your
back up band is arguably the best bluegrass band in the city so we hope
you plan to entertain the crowd by giving your performance of a lifetime.
It's a new season for the VBA. Our regular programming begins Tuesday
September 3rd with our hosted Slow Pitch (introductory jam), Old Time Jam
and Advanced Jam.
The Tuesday evening Summer Jams in Emily Carr Park are now official. Come out to play (or listen) to the jamming circle which starts at 7:00 pm.
Bring a chair, a small donation (suggest $2), an instrument if you play and let's have a great time.
After 16 successful festivals, in 2019 the Sooke River Bluegrass Festival has been moved and renamed.
Kick off the festival-camping season with mighty lively Bluegrass,
Old-Time Music and Dance. PLUS endless jamming, happy food vendors, kids
fun zone, workshops,and beautiful scenery.
Confirmed performers include Claire Lynch, The Slocan Ramblers, The Lonely Heartstring Band,
Nomad Jones, The Sweet Lowdown, High Quadra Ramblers, Clover Point Drifters,
Paul Silveria,
Jenny Lester,
Genevieve and the Wild Sundays,
Adam Iredale-Gray, Frank Evans, Robert Alan Mackie
plus workshops.
... and there is a square dance Saturday night under the Big Top Tent.
Held every Father's Day weekend at the Sooke River Campground, the
festival is a family affair and very affordable, with day passes as low as
$20 or weekend passes for $70 (camping extra).
Special Weekend passes for VBA members are $56, when purchased in person with a valid
membership card at any Tuesday night event. Other discounts for VBA members are available when they purchase online, using the password which was emailed to them.
Check out the Festival Website, and
get ready for a great weekend!
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in serving on the board, or in any other active way,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has Other Business they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Victoria Pang.
Only current members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting. Everyone gets cake too !
The meeting will be followed by a band scramble, so don't forget to bring your instruments.
The Lonesome Town Painters are a tried-and-true, bona fide bluegrass band hailing from Vancouver, British Columbia. They have a look, style and sound that harkens back
to the raw and ragged edge of the genre. Their soaring harmonies and driving instrumentation have come to define their spirited performances, while their honestly written originals
pay tribute to golden era pioneers.
Playing an eclectic mix of songs about love, heartache, prison, and the odd gospel number, this hard-hitting quartet would be equally at home
in the barroom on Saturday night or the church house on Sunday morning, comfortable treading that fine line between perdition and salvation.
Patrick Bartel (banjo, vocals), Jeremy Freeman (mandolin, vocals), Fred Beach (bass, vocals), Angelo Eidse (guitar, vocals).
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers.
Saturday April 6th
Location TBA
The workshop will be held in a private residence, and the address will be provided in your confirmation. VBA members will receive $5.00 off for their registration
of each workshop (Singing and/or songs workshop).
Malahat Drive is a groovy new local quartet named after that iconic mountain byway north of Victoria. Like the road, the band can be fun, quirky and interesting, but unlike
the road, never disappointing.
Our first love is traditional bluegrass, but you will also hear a variety of tunes from Tim O'Brien to Bob Wills to Marty Robbins as well as an original or two.
We are: Larry Stevens(resophonic guitar,vocals), George Robinson(bass,vocals), Mike Kraft(banjo,vocals), and Paul Lange(guitar,vocals).
We hope you come out for some fun, you never know what will happen!
Nomad Jones is a hot and happening band, equally comfortable
ripping on rollicking classics or serenading on sultry ballads. Drawing on an extensive repertoire
from traditional bluegrass right through the acoustic music spectrum, Nomad Jones will entertain you
with their blood harmonies and intriguing instrumentals.
Over the past two years, Nomad Jones has become a fan-favourite at festivals throughout Western Canada.
They recently recorded their first album, Pickin' Up & Puttin' Down.
Band members for this show are: Nico Humby (bass), Miles Zurawell (resonator guitar), Craig Korth (banjo), Bill Humby (guitar), Katrina Nicolayeff (fiddle).
You hear it in his voice immediately - the original strain of Appalachian mountain music that lies at the heart of all great modern bluegrass and country.
Greg Blake grew up in the mountains of southern West Virginia, and when he sings, you can hear a voice that connects to the great old generations of mountain singers,
invested with a rich twang and rumbling drawl, and the kind of eerily powerful high tenor cry that first inspired the 'high, lonesome sound.'
These days he's moved his lifelong calling as a minister to the full-time bluegrass music scene, but he still keeps his faith close and his family closer.
On songs like Dreaming of a Little Cabin or Turn Your Heart Toward Home, you can hear the gentle guidance of a pastor and a devout family man reflecting on the good path.
While bluegrass gospel may be one of Greg Blake's signature talents, he's certainly not averse to a little rough-and-tumble country singing, and his solo album features a blazing bluegrass
version of Johnny Cash's Hey Porter that shows off Blake's razor-sharp and lightning-fast guitar picking abilities.
Drawing from a wide variety of song sources, from Cash
to 80s country (Joe Diffie), to Canadian folk (Ian Tyson), to the original source himself (Bill Monroe), Greg Blake has a far ranging set of influences but a powerful Appalachian base
to his music that resets these vocal gems in new ways.
Growing up in West Virginia, Greg Blake was immersed in the sounds of old country, mountain bluegrass, and gospel harmonies from a young age. Moving to Kansas City, he started playing
in more and more bands, eventually recording on 12 albums for bands like the Bluegrass Missourians, Mountain Holler, The Harvest Quartet and more.
He's twice been nominated for the SPBGMA's Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year and five times won the SPBGMA's Guitarist of the Year, not to mention the Kansas State Flatpicking championship.
Victoria fans will recognize him as the guitarist and lead singer in Jeff Scroggins and Colorado.
His debut solo album, Songs of Heart and Home, measures Greg Blake spreading his wings as a vocalist and bandleader, crafting genre crossing music and following in the footsteps
of his idol, Mac Wiseman, to make music that appeals to Bluegrass, Folk, Country, and Gospel fans alike.
The band features Ellie Hakanson on fiddle, Nico Humby on bass, Miles Zurawell on banjo and dobro.
Doors open: 7:30pm
Show Time: 8:00pm
Advance Tickets: $20 general; VBA Members should enter the Discount Code that was emailed to them.
Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Bella White is a Calgary-based acoustic roots musician. She grew up
around bluegrass and old-time music, and it was very clear to her at a young
age that she wanted to play. She has cultivated a sound drawing
influences from country, bluegrass, old-time music. Her debut album, The Trails That You Made will be released in the coming months.
Playing alongside Bella is the highly acclaimed Victoria-based fiddler Miriam
Sonstenes who also plays with The Sweet Lowdown, The Unfaithful Servants, and
Jesse Cobb Band. Miles Zurawell, who recently relocated to Victoria and has
toured internationally with The Greg Blake Band, Nomad Jones, and Blaine
Sprouse, plays banjo and dobro. Victoria's own Peter Mynette
will be playing bass.
They may be (mostly) older than dirt, but as time marches on, Grumpy and his friends keep making better music than ever.
Taking their name from that magnificent point of land
overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Clover Point Drifters
have
been playing together since January 2000, with each of the members
having
a decades-long love affair with bluegrass music. Their repertoire
consists
primarily of traditional bluegrass songs, with a sprinkling of country,
folk, blues and pop melodies served up in the bluegrass style. Their
songs
feature the kind of heartfelt, high lonesome harmonies and strong banjo,
dobro and mandolin accompaniment that makes old-time bluegrass music so
compelling.
Featuring Alan Law (guitar), Dan Parker (mandolin), Larry Stevens (dobro), Mike Kraft (banjo), George Robinson (bass)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Long recognized and praised as a creative force in acoustic music, Claire Lynch is a pioneer who continually pushes the boundaries of the bluegrass genre.
Her career has been decorated with many accolades including three GRAMMY nominations, seven International Bluegrass Music Association awards and the prestigious
United States Artists Walker Fellowship.
Dolly Parton credits Claire with "one of the sweetest, purest and best lead voices in the music business today." Her harmonies have graced the recordings of many stellar musicians.
Equally gifted as a writer, her songs have been recorded by The Seldom Scene, Patty Loveless, Kathy Mattea, Cherryholmes, The Whites and others.
Blazing her own trail in the mid 70's when there were few role models for young women in the genre, Claire Lynch made history when she led the Front Porch String Band
which evolved in the 80's and 90's into "one of the sharpest and most exciting post-modern bluegrass bands on the circuit."
She formed her own Claire Lynch Band in 2005
and has since consistently been a top pick of prestigious publications, critics and audiences across the U.S. and beyond.
In September 2016, Claire released North By South - a tribute to Canada which resulted in her third GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album.
Produced by Compass Records' co-founder Alison Brown, the recording pays homage to some of her favorite Canadian songwriters, interpreting tracks from greats like
Gordon Lightfoot and Ron Sexsmith. Backed by the CLB alumni and some of the world's finest acoustic heavyweights (Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, David Grier),
Lynch infuses the collection with her signature Bluegrass treatment producing an elegant blend of songs and artistry.
"Claire Lynch is a rare talent indeed. She has a beautiful, effervescent voice which can handle both
contemporary and traditional musics with complete authenticity. I love to listen to her and I love to
sing with her." - Linda Ronstadt
Her Canadian leanings all started when a fan's email suggested places for her to play in Toronto. When she emailed back, it sparked a long correspondence about Canada's culture,
history and diverse art scene. She eventually did score a gig in Toronto and what's better, she fell in love with her pen pal leading to their marriage in 2014.
North By South is the product of a growing love for Canada that is now a centerpiece of Lynch's life.
"Listening to Claire Lynch sing is not something to be undertaken casually. Her songs and stage presence demand the listener's rapt attention.
She's an intensely soulful singer, whose distinctive voice resonates with power and strength, yet retains an engaging innocence and crystalline purity. She's also
a songwriter of extraordinary ability who can bring listeners to their feet with her buoyant rhythms or to their knees with her sometimes almost unbearably poignant
and insightful lyrics." - Dave Higgs-WPLN Nashville
Doors open: 7:30 pm For this Special Concert, our regular Tuesday jam is pre-empted. Admission: Online tickets are $22.50 general; VBA Members should enter the Discount Code that was emailed to them. Tickets are also sold at any VBA event. Price at the door is $25 for all.
For more information, email tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca
Country Squall is Peter Mynett (bass), Mick Baker (mandolin/violin),
Cluny Macpherson (banjo) and Adam Cleland (guitar). They play a mix of
original music and favourites from the bluegrass, country and old time
repertoires. They enjoy marshmallows and long walks on the beach. Each
member has been or is currently involved in various projects spanning
several genres including Sarah Jane Scouten, Dylan Stone Band, (as the)
Crow Flies and Dean Martin. They're really into nineties r&b, especially
Cluny. They've been performing around BC this summer and are working on
material for their first recording project this fall.
Country Squall will appear as a trio for the VBA feature presentation
since Peter has a prior commitment and he's pretty much irreplaceable.
We look forward to seeing yer smiling faces!
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Summer's almost gone, Winter's coming on, and you've laid around too long, so it's time to put away the short
pants and head down to the VBA Slow Jam again.
We're hosting Bluegrass Jams in July and August at Saxe Point Park in Esquimalt.
We'll be east of the parking lot, on these Tuesday evenings: July 3, 10, 17 and 24 and Aug 14, 21 and 28.
The City is reluctant to hold music events in this park because they have historically received noise complaints. We were able to convince them to accept our proposal as our instruments
are unamplified and the jamming hours will conclude well before most neighbours go to bed. We need your help to keep the City happy.
Fees are the same as our regular jams: $2 for members, $3 for non-members and listeners by donation.
Hope you can make some, or better yet, all of our Summer Jams.
Kick off the festival-camping season with mighty lively Bluegrass,
Old-Time Music and Dance. PLUS endless jamming, happy food vendors, kids
fun zone, workshops, and more!
The festival is family friendly and features an array of local & visiting acoustic talent, food & merchandise vendors, instrument workshops and beautiful scenery.
The Barefoot Movement,
Jeff Scroggins and Colorado,
The Pine Siskins,
The Small Glories,
Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves,
The Unfaithful Servants,
The Lonely Heartstring Band,
Clover Point Drifters
plus workshops.
... and there is a square dance Saturday night under the Big Top Tent with caller Craig Marcuk.
Held every Father's Day weekend at the Sooke River Campground, the
festival is a family affair and very affordable, with day passes as low as
$20 or weekend passes for $70 (camping extra).
Special Weekend passes for VBA members are $50, when purchased in person with a valid
membership card at any Tuesday night event. Other discounts for VBA members are available when they purchase online, using the password which was emailed to them.
Check out the Festival Website, and
get ready for a great weekend!
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in becoming a board member,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has "Other Business" they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Victoria Pang.
Only paid up 2018/2019 members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting. Everyone gets cake too !
The meeting will be followed by a band scramble, so don't forget to bring your instruments.
The Kathy Kallick Band visits Victoria one again to
play music from Foxhounds, the 2016 #1 album on the Roots Music Report Contemporary Bluegrass charts and in the National Bluegrass Survey (Bluegrass Unlimited charts) 2016 Top 10.
Also featuring music from IBMA's 2015 Momentum Award winner (Instrumentalist Of the Year) Annie Staninec's first solo album, favorites from two earlier KKB hit albums
Time and Between the Hollow & the High-Rise, classics from the Good Ol' Persons, gems from the bluegrass/old time/country music repertoire, and more than a few surprises.
Plus NEW STUFF!
Kathy has won a Grammy and two IBMA Awards for her part onTrue
Life Blues: The Songs Of Bill Monroe, received a Lifetime Membership from
the California Bluegrass Association, co-founded the
internationally-acclaimed band Good Ol' Persons, performed and
recorded with the Frank Wakefield Band, appeared on three high-profile
Rounder collections of bluegrass songs by women, wrote and recorded
award-winning music for children and families, toured throughout North
America / Europe / Japan, had five title tracks and albums each spend a
year in the upper echelon of the national bluegrass charts, and
collaborated with the country's top acoustic musicians - including her
mighty current band: Annie Staninec (fiddle), Tom Bekeny (mandolin), Greg Booth (dobro, banjo),
and Cary Black (acoustic bass)
"Kathy's working with the finest group she's ever assembled. Fare Thee
Well is delivered with a beautifully restrained ache by Kallick, further
enhanced by a tender, tear-stained dobro solo from Greg Booth that emerges
right out of the shadow of Clinch Mountain, and on Long Time Travelin',
Kallick's and Staninec's dour voices are positively haunting, a mood
elevated to greater affect by the latter's spare clawhammer banjo and
ominous fiddle cries. These and other songs make Time an unforgettable
document; they seep into your consciousness slowly but inexorably, and you
find yourself cueing up the album again and again. Each time you do, you
learn a little more, and you're richer for the experience."
- David McGee, Deep Roots
Led by one of the music's extraordinary composers and vocalists, the Kathy
Kallick Band has nearly as much fun as the audience when performing. The
material is compelling, the tone ranges from humorous to bittersweet to
soulful, the instrumental playing is electric, the vocals luminous, the
presentation inclusive. As was once said about another California band:
They're not just the best at what they do; they're the only ones who do
what they do.
"This is a top-notch band led by a woman with the warmest, richest voice
in our music today."
- Katy Daley, WAMU's Bluegrass Country
Doors open: 7:30 pm For this Special Concert, our regular Tuesday jam is pre-empted. Admission: Online tickets are $25 general; VBA Members should enter the Discount Code that was emailed to them. Tickets are also sold at any VBA event. Price at the door is $25 for all.
For more information, email tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca
Ok VBA members, shine up yer shoes and get ready to howl.
Time to start preparing for the Saturday night shindig at the Sooke
Festival!
This should be a fun evening and will get your feet moving to the rhythm
of Bluegrass and Old Time music.
Please let Victoria Pang
or Tim Storm know if you are interested so that
we can anticipate numbers attending. Please note the location.
Wisconsin native Jesse Cobb was a founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters, a Nashville-based powerhouse group. He received a Grammy nomination in 2010
for his original song Magic #9.
He has also recorded on a Grammy-winning project with Jim Lauderdale in 2008, and has won three International Bluegrass Music Awards for Song of The Year, Album of The Year
and Emerging Artist of The Year.
Border Ride also includes Virginia-born Jeff Ellis, a talented, world-champion bassist. Over the years Jeff has played
with several notable bands, including David Parmley and Continental Divide, as well as Marty Raybon and Full Circle.
Miriam Sonstenes, on the fiddle, was trained in classical violin and is well-versed in both Old Time and Bluegrass. She discovered fiddle music while completing a classical
music degree at the University of Victoria. She has spent the last ten years performing, touring, teaching and composing music steeped in folk traditions, with her band The Sweet Lowdown.
Also included in this wonderful group is banjoist Mike Kraft, a mainstay on the Vancouver Island bluegrass scene with a vast knowledge of a variety of styles.
His showmanship, humour and enthusiasm for performing make him a real crowd favourite. Rounding out this
amazing band is singer Garrett Tompson, who grew up in rural B.C. but now makes his home in the Victoria area. His parents introduced him to an array of music styles but it was
bluegrass music that ultimately made the biggest impact on him. He provides rich lead baritone vocals and a strong rhythm guitar.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Omie Wise is a local trio who play country, folk, and old-timey music.
Katie McIntyre, Lisa Feeney and Lydia Beauregard all share a love of
harmony singing from love songs to the inevitable murder ballad.
Ever since a life-altering week playing old-time under the midnight sun,
Katie Mac spends all her spare time playing her Martin guitar and dreaming
of harmonies.
Lisa went from dancing to the band to playing guitar and bass for square
dances with YOMADA. She has been on the stage at the VBA twice with The
Sirens and Pennyless Duo.
Lydia's love of swing dancing, soul, and traditional folk music are what
led her towards the low end on the bass and vocals with Omie Wise.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
For 25 years, Gary Dalrymple performed as part of The Spinney Brothers, a Nova Scotian bluegrass band with international recognition.
But when the band retired from the road last year, he decided to reunite with an old friend and hit the stage once again with a new act: Roxeen & Dalrymple.
Roxeen Roberts also performed as part of the original Spinney Brothers band 25 years ago,
before she left to pursue other opportunities.
After the Spinney Brothers stopped touring full time, Roxeen and I started talking about putting something together. We got together with a musician or two,
but it didn't feel right, so we decided to just break it down to what we were doing in the beginning - a duo.
Their performances borrow heavily from early country and bluegrass sounds, featuring both originals and two-piece covers of classic bluegrass, country and gospel tunes.
"In a nutshell, our goal is to have a song selection that means something to us but brings something to the audience as well," said Dalrymple.
"Even if it is new songs the audience hasn't heard or original tunes by us, it still keeps with the traditional sounds of the old days of country.
There will be some instrumental breaks in there as well with some mandolin or fiddle-heavy tunes."
.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Special Concert: Bill Evans - The Banjo in America
"Bill is able to reach into the banjo's past to make a sublime statement of its future...to create a sound firmly rooted in tradition but still fresh and vital."
- Tim Bond, Bluegrass Now
Bill Evans is well-known within the bluegrass music community not only as a great musician, but also as a teacher, writer and scholar. The Banjo in America brings together these interests in a
unique presentation designed for general audiences and the concert stage.
In The Banjo in America, Bill takes the listener on a musical adventure, following the banjo
from its West African
roots to the New World, performing musical examples from the 1700's to the present day on vintage instruments. From an 18th century African dance tune to the music
of the Civil War, and from early 20th century ragtime to folk and bluegrass banjo styles to Bill's own incredible original music, The Banjo in America illuminates as well
as entertains, exposing audiences to over 250 years of American music.
Doors open 7:30 pm. This show pre-empts our regular Tuesday Feature/Open Stage.
Advance tickets $20 general; $15 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $20 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca
Workshop: Bill Evans - Bluegrass Banjo Jam Survival Skills
Bluegrass Banjo Jam Survival Skills (all levels)
This will be a practical, easy to understand hands-on, bring your banjo
and let's pick kind of workshop covering practical and easy to learn
techniques that you can put to immediate use to have more fun playing with
others in your next band rehearsal or jam session. Topics to be discussed
include navigating the fretboard using movable chord shapes for vamping,
up-the-neck backup using the F and D shapes and the In The Mood
roll, down-the-neck backup using forward rolls and target tones, how to
use Earl Scruggs' great backup licks to enhance your sound, how to
hear chord progressions, using the capo to play in different keys
and back-up aesthetics (when to do what!). Tab examples will be presented
for everything that will be covered in the session but it's not necessary
to read tab well to get a lot out of this workshop.
This workshop is open
to all levels of students but is ideal for those with one or more years of
playing experience who are ready to start playing bluegrass with others.
Audio and/or video recording is encouraged and Bill will allow time at the
end of the workshop for open-ended questions on any topic.
Banjo For Dummies and Bluegrass Banjo For
Dummies author Bill Evans is one of the best and most experienced
bluegrass banjo teachers & workshop leaders in the world. His instruction
is practical, down-to-earth and designed for the adult learner. He has
produced eight instructional DVDs for Homespun Tapes, the Murphy Method
and AcuTab, is the co-author of Parking Lot Picker's Songbook: Banjo
Edition from Mel Bay Publications and has taught thousands of students
from all over the world. Bill also hosts the Beginning Banjo and Bluegrass
Banjo courses online at Peghead Nation. His
professional students include Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters),
Wes Corbett (Molly Tuttle Band), Erik Yates (Hot Buttered Rum) and Jayme
Stone.
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
Also, we will collect canned goods, gently used clothes,
(particularly outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels and last but not least, financial donations.
Doug Van Dine will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Let us know if you have something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite finger food to share
(savoury or sweet); your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:30 pm The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:45pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
John Reischman and The Jaybirds are a two-time Juno-nominated band that
Bluegrass Today calls "among the most unique and distinctive string bands
working on the bluegrass scene today." The have been called
"simultaneously modern, vintage and unique, delivering their own trademark
blend of original songs and instrumentals, reimagined tunes from the
old-time vaults, and bluegrass power."
When they soar into Victoria for their 9th annual Christmas concert, long-time fans of the band
might be wondering: who's the guy on guitar?
"I'm really excited to introduce Victoria to the newest Jaybird, the very
talented Patrick Sauber. He's a fabulous player and we are very happy to
have him in the Jaybird family," says Reischman. The other Jaybirds are Trisha Gagnon, Nick Hornbuckle and Greg Spatz.
The concert will feature material from their seventh CD, On That Other Green Shore, hailed as "one of the
most beguiling bluegrass-rooted recordings of 2017," as well as from The
Jaybirds' 2014 seasonal CD On A Winter's Night.
Patrick Sauber is one of the new breed of bluegrass
pickers. Roland White calls Patrick his favourite Clarence White guitar
stylist. He also plays banjo with the best, mandolin like it was his first
instrument, and sings as if born into bluegrass. Patrick has played with
Laurie Lewis and The Right Hands, John Fogerty, Peter Rowan, Doc Watson, Dan Crary, John Jorgensen,
Chris Hillman, Richard Greene and many more.
John Reischman has also released three critically-acclaimed solo
instrumental albums, and recorded on dozens of other projects, including
the Grammy-winning True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe. Bluegrass
Unlimited magazine called John "one of the world's undisputed masters" of
the mandolin, and he's known for producing wonderful tone from his famous
1924 Gibson 'Lloyd Loar' F-5 mandolin. He is revered for his ability to
play genres ranging from bluegrass to jazz to hot swing to Latin and
beyond. He was a member of the influential Tony Rice Unit and a founding
member of the progressive California band The Good Ol' Persons.
The show's Christmas theme will include selections from On A
Winter's Night, with eight tracks that relate to the Christmas season
taken from the rich traditions of the English and American folk cultures.
Special guests for the evening are Victoria's Miriam Sonstenes and Jeff
Dill, whose haunting duets are reminiscent of the vintage sounds of Dolly
Parton and Porter Wagoner and the stylings of the Louvin Brothers and the
Monroe Brothers. Miriam has played with Victoria's award-winning The Sweet
Lowdown. One of her original songs is featured on the 2017 IBMA Bluegrass
Album of the Year, Mountain Voodoo, by Balsam Range. Jeff is a member of
Victoria's Riverside Bluegrass Band and both are founding members of the
Victoria bluegrass band Flash in the Pan.
Doors open 7:30 pm. Advance tickets at Brown Paper Tickets$25 general; $20 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $30 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.217.7738
The High Quadra Ramblers are a newly formed duo creating their
own interpretation of traditional music. From East Coast and West Coast,
these ramblers bring both sides of the continent together.
Mack Shields has played fiddle since he was 8, competing in Western
Canadian fiddle competitions and developing a wild, syncopated style.
Kaitlin Chamberlin picked up the banjo after playing guitar and piano all her life
and found a rhythmic, melodic bliss.
With beautiful oldtime vocal harmonies and
skilled instrumentation, they weave intricate notes over the droning
backdrop of clawhammer banjo. They play a wide range of traditional music,
from metis to celtic, appalachian, oldtime, bluegrass, cajun and roots.
Expect high-energy hillbilly hoedowns to droney, middle-eastern inspired
instrumentals.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
And check out the Music Swap (details above).
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
We've added something new to our Feature Night !
There will be a few tables in the upper Foyer for your use, to sell music-related items.
Clear out the closet, give your unused stuff a new home !
Miriam Sonstenes and Jeff Dill have been playing music together for over a decade. With a fiddle,
a guitar and two voices in harmony, their music reveals a deep love
of bluegrass, old time and old country.
Their musical travels have taken them to North Carolina, Louisiana, Ireland, and across Canada on VIA Rail's Artists on Board Program. As
well as studying and performing the music they both love, Miriam is a member of
The Unfaithful Servants, and a founding member of the award-winning roots
trio The Sweet Lowdown. Jeff is a member of
Riverside Bluegrass Band and both are founding members of Victoria
bluegrass band Flash In The Pan.
With a tight vocal blend on classic duets of love, heartache and longing,
and compelling fiddle tunes from many traditions, this duo brings a warm
and inviting sound, infused with the pure joy of making music together.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
And check out the Music Swap (details below).
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Mike Kraft is one of the finest banjo pickers performing today. He lives
in Sooke, and is the banjo player for many local bands past and present,
including Special Delivery, The Chance Brothers, The Clover Point Drifters,
Riverside Bluegrass Band, The Garrett Tompson Band and many others. His
beautifully tasteful backup and blistering breaks enhance any band he
plays in.
Watching him perform is a wonderful lesson in enhancing the
music with "Taste, Tone and Timing". His background as a guitar picker is
evident in the variety of licks and fills that he brings to Bluegrass
Music. You don't want to miss this special opportunity to learn from and
play with one of the best, as he leads the slow pitch jam.
Eli West is a Seattle-based musician whose music has been featured by
Rolling Stone, NPR, BBC and more. His recent debut solo album, The Both,
has him taking the lead on electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, and pedal
steel, whilst remaining a thoughtful collaborator with some of his close
friends and personal heroes, like jazz great Bill Frisell, new Americana
discovery Dori Freeman, and Anna & Elizabeth.
Eli is well-known for his
work with Norwegian fiddler Olav Mjelva, Cahalen Morrison (their duo
headlined the Anchorage Folk Festival in 2013), Tim O'Brien, Jayme Stone
and more.
The singer and multi-instrumentalist oozes understated talent.
Doors open: 7:00 pm Admission: $18 general, $15 for VBA members.
Email your reservation request to colleen@victoriabluegrass.ca.
You'll be given the location when you reserve a ticket.
Here we are again. Something old. Something new. With most of the
original members of The Riverside Bluegrass Band getting together for the
evening, and with the addition of one of our newest members, this should
prove to be a high-energy, fun and fabulous show! Lineup includes Mike
Kraft on banjo, Larry Stevens on dobro, Paul Lange on guitar, James
Whittall on mandolin, Eric Adams on bass and Ivonne Hernandez on fiddle.
If you are unfamiliar with all of these great players then you must
be from out of town. We're in for a great show!
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Summer's almost gone, Winter's coming on, and you've laid around too long, so it's time to put away the short
pants and head down to the VBA Slow Jam again.
Summer is here, and the bluegrass focus changes from the First Church of Christ Scientist to the various festivals, jams and gatherings
in the area. Our regular Tuesday night jams will resume in September.
We are busy planning the fall schedule, including feature acts, workshops and special concerts. See you all in September !
By the way, this 2005 photo shows Jack Layton playing the bass from Don Messer's band (now George Robinson's instrument).
Are you from out-of-town and looking to pick some tunes ? Email our president
Victoria Pang president@victoriabluegrass.ca
Kick off the festival-camping season with mighty lively Bluegrass,
Old-Time Music and Dance. PLUS endless jamming, happy food vendors, kids
fun zone, performer seminars, and more!
The festival is family friendly and features an array of local & visiting acoustic talent, food & merchandise vendors, and beautiful scenery.
The Slocan Ramblers, Sara Jane Scouten, Nomad Jones, The Unfaithful Servants, Twin Bandit, The Clover Point Drifters, Country Squall, The Riverside Bluegrass Band
plus workshops.
... and there is a square dance Saturday night under the Big Top Tent with The Wooly Bears and caller Craig Marcuk.
Held every Father's Day weekend at the Sooke River Campground, the
festival is a family affair and very affordable, with day passes as low as
$10 or weekend passes for $50 (camping extra).
Discounted Weekend passes for VBA members are $40, and can be purchased in person with a valid
membership card at any Tuesday night event.
Check out their website, and
get ready for a great weekend!
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in becoming a board member,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has "Other Business" they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Lisa Feeney.
Only paid up 2017/2018 members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting. Everyone gets cake too !
The meeting will be followed by a band scramble, so don't forget to bring your instruments.
Alisa Rose and Tristan Scroggins combine bluegrass and baroque style improvisation to add to the growing lexicon of new acoustic music.
With breathtaking technical virtuosity and knowledge of both traditional folk music and classical styles they create music on the spot utilizing risky improvisation
and innovative musical techniques. Their concerts present a study of both active listening and performance skills as they nearly psychically respond to each others
spur of the moment musical colors and ideas to create a ever changing exciting performance.
Tristan Scroggins is an award-winning mandolinist and composer from Denver Colorado.
He has visited and toured the Island many times as a member of the critically acclaimed bluegrass band Jeff Scroggins and Colorado.
Fiddler, violinist, composer and improviser Alisa Rose is a modern musician who easily navigates between many musical styles.
With roots in classical music as well as the rich American musical tradition, she attracts attention for her expressive lyrical voice on the violin.
She has performed with a wide range of artists including the Real Vocal String Quartet, 2008 Rockygrass winners 49 Special, and Grammy-nominated Quartet San Francisco.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
There is more to a song than notes and words. How often have you listened to a singer who had a good song to sing, but
you found your attention wandering ? The singer failed to connect with the
audience, and there are some simple ways to fix it.
This workshop will focus on presentation - techniques and tricks to give
your singing more impact. We'll talk about melody, phrasing, dynamics and
other aspects of performing songs. All singers welcome.
Alan Law is a stalwart of the local bluegrass scene, notably as lead/tenor singer in the Clover Point Drifters. He has also produced and engineered many recordings for local musicians.
Workshop starts at 6:30pm sharp, duration 1 hour.
After the workshop, participants are welcome to join a VBA jam which will begin after the workshop. Regular jam fees will be waived for workshop participants.
Multi-instrumentalist Devon Wells is a founding member of the
Tishomingo String Band and a solo performer. He has played with a wide variety of
artists on recordings and in concert including a stint touring North
America as banjoist for The Clumsy Lovers and appearances on television and in film.
As a banjoist Devon is known for his speed and clarity of tone as well
as his innovative arrangements and original compositions.
The workshop will include some performance as well as address popular topics such as arranging for bluegrass banjo, developing speed, producing appealing tone and playing up the neck.
Questions from the audience will be discussed in detail. This workshop is for all players, but listeners without their instruments are invited too.
Workshop starts at 6:30pm sharp, duration 1 hour.
After the workshop, participants are welcome to join a VBA jam which will begin after the workshop. Regular jam fees will be waived for workshop participants.
Annie Savage is a seasoned and vibrant fiddler who grew up studying with the
likes of Bobby Hicks and Blaine Sprouse. She is a founding member of Jeff
Scroggins and Colorado and recently released her latest CD project with her band
The Savage Hearts. Since it's release, Playing It Forward has been in the top 5 of US Americana / Bluegrass Charts.
Tracy Lynn is a Vancouver Island-born singer songwriter who has just completed
touring her 2014 CD The Young Old Woman.
Annie and Tracy bring a show filled with plenty of
energy, laughs, and great music.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Hardly Handsome got their start playing music scores in fourth-rate
movie theaters and orchestra pits
of Alberta's underground theater scene. Rarely heard
and seldom seen, the boys fatefully burst into the
spotlight during a show in Canmore when their
tarpaulin/orchestra pit came crashing down halfway
through the second act.
From the far back row of the
crowded basement, a woman was heard to scream,
"They're hardly handsome but I'll spare a loonie to hear
them play on!"
Now on the other side of the curtain,
Hardly Handsome is gaining a following in Western
Canada's off the beaten path bluegrass scene.
- The Underground Gazette
Over the past six years, Hardly Handsome has played at bluegrass festivals throughout
select parts of North America, wowing fans with their wide ranging song selection,
vibrant harmonies, dance moves, bass solos and BBQ'd tri-tip.
The core members, Bill
Humby on guitar and vocals, Gord Higby on mando and vocals, and Nico Humby on
bass, vocals, and dance moves are pleased as punch to have fiddler fantastico Ivonne
Hernandez joining them for this performance. Come for the tri tip,
stay for the tunes...
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
The Lonesome Ace Stringband brings grit, skill and abandon to old-time, Appalachian folk songs and fiddle/banjo tunes. These are songs and tunes for life and all of its occasions:
festivals, dances, wars, parties and funerals. The music comes from a tradition that inspires all generations. Its themes of love, loss, hard work, hardship, faith, and everyday life,
speak to everyone. The band has an instinctive rapport that comes from logging many hundreds of hours playing and entertaining together. They impart a deep respect for the roots of the music, a keen sense
of innovation in their material and performance, and a transcending passion for the sound. This is old-time music for today's old soul.
Chris Coole is a cracker-jack banjo picker who has been on the old-time and roots music scene for going on 20 years. He has taught at banjo workshops and camps internationally,
released several albums under his own name and with the Foggy Hogtown Boys as well as numerous collaborations with a variety of great roots musicians including Arnie Naiman,
Erynn Marshall, Ivan Rosenberg and David Francey. His vision, musicality and great knowledge of the music are the driving forces of the trio.
John Showman is simply one of Canada's finest fiddle players, in any style. He is a strong, intuitive, and versatile musician best-known for his work with the Foggy Hogtown Boys,
New Country Rehab and Creaking Tree String Quartet. His love of traditional fiddle music is uninhibited, and he brings music to life with inspired and forthright play.
Max Heineman's powerful and unique voice carries the listener straight to the heart of the song, with a timeless quality entirely his own yet one that hearkens back to the classic
folk and country singers that shaped the style. His bass expertise supports the music, both driving the rhythm and gliding right along with the melody
to shape the trio's distinctive sound.
Victoria audiences are no strangers to these fine folk, their having regularly toured the Island as members of The Foggy Hogtown Boys and various other acts. Each passing year and each new tour
remind us that these stellar musicians of the Canadian scene continue to grow and develop their unique take on traditional acoustic music. We are indeed fortunate to host them once again.
Get your tickets early, for our small venue is sure to sell out.
Doors open 7:30 pm This show pre-empts our regular Tuesday jam.
Advance tickets $12 general; $10 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $15 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
Also, we will collect canned goods, gently used clothes,
(particularly outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels and last but not least, financial donations.
Doug Van Dine will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Let us know if you have something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite finger food to share
(savoury or sweet); your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:30 pm The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:45pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
Internationally acclaimed Foghorn Stringband has been at the
vanguard of a revival in American old-time music for over a
decade now. They've traveled the globe and inspired a new generation of old-time musicians
without compromising their love of traditional American music.
But they've gathered new ideas and new band members too. Their
unique sound is rooted in the fiery, intertwining melodies of
Stephen "Sammy" Lind's fiddle and Caleb Klauder's mandolin,
supported by the bedrock-solid rhythm foundation
of Reeb Willms' guitar and Nadine Landry's bass. And when it
comes to vocals, they deliver; four powerful and exceptional
voices resulting in countless combinations of harmonies. A typical
Foghorn set is based around exquisitely rare old-time tunes and
songs, but a vast knowledge of early country music and recent
explorations in Cajun song traditions have molded a powerful new
sound. Any band would be happy to have mastered one music
genre, but Foghorn Stringband have a roaming spirit, and are
sparking revivals of American roots music traditions.
Doors open 7:00 pm. Advance tickets at Brown Paper Tickets$15 general; $13 for VBA Members
(use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $20 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
In what has become a Victoria tradition, John Reischman and the Jaybird Trio are fluttering into town for their 8th Annual Christmas Concert and Benefit.
You can expect the usual intimate performance, stunning instrumentals and soaring harmonies
from these masters of acoustic music.
This year, the evening will showcase a broader musical offering, with the Jaybird Trio (John Reischman on mandolin; Trisha Gagnon on bass; Nick Hornbuckle on 5- string banjo)
being joined by guest musicians Eli West on guitar and Trent Freeman on fiddle.
Also featuring Wellesley Station (Nick Hornbuckle; Miriam Sonstenes, fiddle; and Rachel Capon, cello)
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the music, Vancouver's John Reischman is
one of the acoustic world's top-ranked mandolin players and
composers, renowned for his exquisite taste, tone and impeccable musicianship.
He is revered for his ability to play genres ranging from bluegrass to jazz to hot
swing to Latin and beyond.
The Jaybirds have accumulated several European and North American tours, five critically acclaimed albums, two Juno nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Award
nominations. Like the mandolinist at its helm, the group fashions a stylish, elegant take on bluegrass that is at once innovative and unadorned, sophisticated
and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned, yet unselfconsciously new. Their live show has a genial blend of story-telling and side-show humor
behind their studied performance of original songs, instrumentals, and freshly arranged traditional material.
Doors open 7:30 pm. Advance tickets at Brown Paper Tickets$25 general; $20 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $30 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
They may be (mostly) older than dirt, but as time marches on, Grumpy and his friends keep making better music than ever.
Taking their name from that magnificent point of land
overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Clover Point Drifters
have
been playing together since January 2000, with each of the members
having
a decades-long love affair with bluegrass music. Their repertoire
consists
primarily of traditional bluegrass songs, with a sprinkling of country,
folk, blues and pop melodies served up in the bluegrass style. Their
songs
feature the kind of heartfelt, high lonesome harmonies and strong banjo,
dobro and mandolin accompaniment that makes old-time bluegrass music so
compelling.
Featuring Alan Law (guitar), Dan Parker (mandolin), Larry Stevens (dobro), Mike Kraft (banjo), George Robinson (bass)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
The Unfaithful Servants were founded by prolific songwriter and performer
Dylan Stone while looking for an avenue to perform his acoustic music.
He connected with Nashville transplant Jesse Cobb, a founding member and
Grammy Award nominee with the critically-acclaimed bluegrass band
The Infamous String Dusters. The group is rounded out by Miriam Sonstenes
who performs and writes with the group The Sweet Lowdown. They deliver an
engaging performance displaying their varied influences of Bluegrass, Folk, Country and Rock music.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
One of the premier touring bluegrass bands comes back to town for another fine concert of traditional bluegrass.
Fronted by internationally acclaimed two-time National
Banjo Champion Jeff Scroggins, their distinct style is immediately
recognizable due to Jeff's unique and diverse range of influences, which
include Alan Munde, Don Reno, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. The band also
features the award-winning mandolin playing of Jeff's son Tristan
Scroggins. At only 20 years old, Tristan is an award-winning
instrumentalist and accomplished songwriter. West Virginia native Greg
Blake provides powerful bluegrass vocals and guitar steeped in country
heritage, bringing a truly authentic sound developed from a lifetime of
singing bluegrass, gospel, and country. They are joined by Oregon native
and festival favorite Ellie Hakanson on fiddle and vocals as well as
champion multi-instrumentalist and veteran musician Isaac Calender on
bass.
Get your tickets early - there is limited seating in this intimate venue.
Doors open 7:00 pm. Advance tickets $20 general; $18 VBA Members(use the Member Password that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $25 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
Button & String bring you minor waltzes and ridiculous ragtime on the
banjo and accordion with plans to get you movin'. Original stories,
tap-dancing feet, soulful saw and happy harmonies, this duo dances and
grooves in and out of folk, klezmer, balkan, swing and any old thing.
Based out of Victoria, BC, you can find them playing at cafes,
festivals, bars, rooftops and your own living room.
Featuring VBA bursary winner Kaitlin Chamberlin on banjo !
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Summer's almost gone, Winter's coming on, and you've laid around too long, so it's time to put away the short
pants and head down to the VBA Slow Jam again.
Kick off the festival-camping season with mighty lively Bluegrass,
Old-Time Music and Dance. PLUS endless jamming, happy food vendors, kids
fun zone, performer seminars, and more!
The festival is family friendly and features an array of local & visiting acoustic talent, food & merchandise vendors, instrument workshops and beautiful scenery.
John Reischman and the Pine Siskins, Tom Terrell, Twin Bandit, Wellesley Station, Garrett Tompson Band, Sarah Jane Scouten, The Clover Point Drifters,
Riverside Bluegrass Band
... and YOMADA's House Stringband plays for a square
dance Saturday night under the big top tent.
Held every Father's Day weekend at the Sooke River Campground, the
festival is a family affair and very affordable, with day passes as low as
$10 or weekend passes for $50 (camping extra). Check out their website, and
get ready for a great weekend!
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in becoming a board member,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has "Other Business" they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Lisa Feeney.
Only paid up 2016/2017 members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting.
The meeting will be followed by a band scramble, so don't forget to bring your instruments. Cake too !
Several years ago the idea came up to do a Tim O'Brien Tribute. It was talked about again at festivals last summer, so in the fall of last year James Whittall,
Paul Lange and Larry Stevens decided to put together a set of songs written or recorded by Tim. These 3 have been greatly influenced by Tim O'Brien as a player, song writer,
sideman, as well as a member of Hot Rize and Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers.
With the help of a couple of special guests, James, Paul and Larry will perform some of their favourite Tim tunes. It will be an evening to remember.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
This high-energy five-piece bluegrass band from Colorado returns to Vancouver Island for a very special limited-seating show.
Fronted by internationally acclaimed two-time National
Banjo Champion Jeff Scroggins, their distinct style is immediately
recognizable due to Jeff's unique and diverse range of influences, which
include Alan Munde, Don Reno, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. The band also
features the award-winning mandolin playing of Jeff's son Tristan
Scroggins. At only 20 years old, Tristan is an award-winning
instrumentalist and accomplished songwriter. West Virginia native Greg
Blake provides powerful bluegrass vocals and guitar steeped in country
heritage, bringing a truly authentic sound developed from a lifetime of
singing bluegrass, gospel, and country. They are joined by Oregon native
and festival favorite Ellie Hakanson on fiddle and vocals as well as
champion multi-instrumentalist and veteran musician Isaac Calender on
bass.
Opening the show is The Garrett Thompson Band featuring Mike Kraft (banjo), Miriam Sonstenes (fiddle), Jeff Ellis (bass), Paul Lange (mandolin),
and Garrett Tompson on guitar.
Get your tickets early - it's sure to sell out.
Doors open 5:30 pm. Advance tickets $20 general; $18 VBA Members(use the Member Password that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $25 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
Unfortunately, The Sweet Lowdown has been forced to cancel their show on this date for health reasons. Fortunately, The Garrett Tompson Band has stepped in to fill the gap.
Garrett has been an active member of the Victoria bluegrass scene for many years, playing with several bands and guesting with a few more.
In 2009, he was the recipient of the VBA bursary to the BC Bluegrass Workshop. He is a fine picker and a terrific singer, and it is a pleasure
to have this talented musician appear on the VBA stage as the leader of his own band.
The Garrett Tompson Band is a five-member bluegrass unit from Victoria, inspired by the early J.D. Crowe and the New South.
They play straight-up bluegrass, while adding material and ideas from other genres, but always
keeping a bluegrass drive and harmonies. All five members have been marinated in bluegrass - the
drive and groove take care of themselves.
Members include Mike Kraft (banjo), Miriam Sonstenes (fiddle), Jeff Ellis (bass), Paul Lange (mandolin), and Garrett Tompson on Guitar.
All members provide lead and harmony vocals, but Garrett's warm country baritone voice is what we all anticipate hearing.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Times Colonist and M-award winning Oldtime,
Bluegrass and Folk artist Oliver Swain and Victoria's hot pickin'
mandolin and guitarist James Whittall are joined by Grand North American Fiddle
Champion Ivonne Hernandez. The show will feature special guest guitar and mandolin player
Jesse Cobb, whose Nashville colleagues include Noam Pikelny and Brian Sutton.
Don't miss this all-star performance.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Just as the river changes its course, so too does the Riverside
Bluegrass Band. If you've been around the bluegrass scene in Victoria for a while,
you probably know everyone in this ensemble. If you're not part of the
scene, this would be a good time to meet these guys. Some parts
of the Riverside Bluegrass Band are original, and like the banks of the
river, some have changed. The new members are Steve Harrison on banjo and
Tad Ruszel on mandolin and vocals. The original members are Angus
MacKenzie on guitar, and Eric Adams on bass and vocals. With new members
comes a new repertoire, so come and hear their new sounds and harmonies!
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Boston's favorite old time duo Hoot and Holler is escaping the throes of the New England winter for a tour of the west coast.
Amy Alvey (fiddle, vocals) and Mark Kilianski (guitar, vocals) present a hearty dose of traditional songs and tunes on fiddle, guitar and banjo as well as original songs
and compositions.
Amy and Mark, Berklee College of Music grads, are returning to promote brand new material in addition to songs from their album released last fall,
Nothing If Not Young.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
Also, we will collect canned goods, gently used clothes,
(particularly outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels and last but not least, financial donations.
Doug Van Dine will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Let us know if you have something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Note the change to Thursday night, not Tuesday.
Please bring your favourite finger food to share
(savoury or sweet); your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:30 pm The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:45pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
Special Concert: Sarah Jane Scouten & the Honky Tonk Wingmen
Sarah Jane Scouten was nominated for two Canadian Folk Music Awards for her second album The Cape in 2014. The songwriter shows a signature flair for the roots of roots music,
ranging from Western-swing, honky-tonk, and Cajun to Appalachian string band music with a hint
of the Maritimes in her "memorable performance" (Montreal Gazette).
The Cape was recorded/produced by Juno-nominated producer Andrew Collins (Foggy Hogtown Boys, Creaking Tree String Quartet) and was mastered by David Travers-Smith.
While the string band sound is at the core of the record, The Cape also features pedal steel, accordion, and drums, with
her sister and fellow Montreal songwriter, Anna Scouten lending her arresting blood-harmonies.
She is touring with her country band, The Honky Tonk Wingmen (from Toronto: Ben Plotnick, James McEleney and Sly Juhas).
They'll be playing original material from The Cape, songs from her upcoming EP release on vinyl, plus selected archival songs from southern BC and Alberta.
The band's take on classic country moves this songwriter's distinctive sound in an exciting new direction.
Doors open 7:00 pm
Advance tickets $12 general; $10 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $15 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
In what has become a Victoria tradition, John Reischman and the Jaybirds are fluttering into town for their 7th Annual Christmas Concert and Benefit.
You can expect the usual intimate performance, stunning instrumentals and soaring harmonies
from these masters of acoustic music.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the music, Vancouver's John Reischman is
one of the acoustic world's top-ranked mandolin players and
composers, renowned for his exquisite taste, tone and impeccable musicianship.
He is revered for his ability to play genres ranging from bluegrass to jazz to hot
swing to Latin and beyond.
The Jaybirds are four musicians renowned in
their own right: Jim Nunally, guitarist, vocalist, composer and
producer from the San Francisco Bay Area; Trisha Gagnon on bass and
vocals from Chilliwack, BC; Nick Hornbuckle, from Nanaimo, on 5-
string banjo, and from Spokane, Greg Spatz on fiddle.
The band has accumulated several European and North American tours, five critically acclaimed albums, two Juno nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Award
nominations. Like the mandolinist at its helm, the group fashions a stylish, elegant take on bluegrass that is at once innovative and unadorned, sophisticated
and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned, yet unselfconsciously new. Their live show has a genial blend of story-telling and side-show humor
behind their studied performance of original songs, instrumentals, and freshly arranged traditional material.
Advance tickets at Brown Paper Tickets$25 general; $20 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $30 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.388.4520
The Victoria Bluegrass Association is excited to have the Clover Point
Drifters, Victoria's favourite bluegrass band, back on stage as our
November feature act. Taking their name from a magnificent point of land
that overlooks the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Clover Point Drifters
have
been playing together since January 2000, with each of the members
having
a decades-long love affair with bluegrass music. Their repertoire
consists
primarily of traditional bluegrass songs, with a sprinkling of country,
folk, blues and pop melodies served up in the bluegrass style. Their
songs
feature the kind of heartfelt, high lonesome harmonies and strong banjo,
dobro and mandolin accompaniment that makes old-time bluegrass music so
compelling.
Featuring Alan Law (guitar), Dan Parker (mandolin), Larry Stevens (dobro), Mike Kraft (banjo), George Robinson (bass)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Cluny Macpherson is a true original. He has travelled across Canada by
bus, by rail, and by thumb. His songs have been described as "perfect" and
"timeless." He writes about humidity, Sudbury, globalization, tragedy
and his daughter. And, he makes a mean hollandaise. He can play the guitar,
banjo, bass and mandolin. He currently resides in Victoria, BC and has
been said to possess Victoria's most authentic bluegrass voice. He will
be performing songs from his upcoming release Country Squall, his
first solo endeavour. Produced by Adrian Dolan (Ruth Moody, The Bills), the
album features Cluny's songwriting as well as a who's who of roots
musicians from the Pacific Northwest.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Special Concert: Tony Furtado with Stephanie Schneiderman
Tony Furtado began his recording career with a 10-year stint at Rounder Records
working with the likes of Allison Krauss, Kelly Joe Phelps and Jerry Douglas. During that time, he was
drawn to slide guitar by players like Ry Cooder and David Lindley. Over the years,Tony continued to
broaden his musical palette and began singing and songwriting as well.
He's been called a genius on banjo and slide guitar.
Very few musicians of any stripe so personify a musical genre as completely as Tony Furtado embodies Americana roots music.
Tony is an evocative and soulful singer, a wide-ranging songwriter and a virtuoso multi-instrumentalist adept on banjo, cello-banjo,
slide guitar and baritone ukulele who mixes and matches sounds and styles with the flair of a master chef.
Tony last played in Victoria in 2012, a dazzling show in the old Orange Hall, and we are excited to have him back again.
This time Tony will be accompanied by his partner and songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman, who like Tony is celebrated for her many
talents across a range of styles. Both have new albums on sale.
Doors open 7:30 pm This show pre-empts our regular Tuesday jam.
Advance tickets $15 general; $12 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $15 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
Summer's almost gone, Winter's coming on, and you've laid around too long, so it's time to put away the short
pants and head down to the VBA Slow Jam again.
Kick off the festival-camping season with mighty lively Bluegrass,
Old-Time Music and Dance. PLUS endless jamming, happy food vendors, kids
fun zone, performer seminars, and more!
2015 is packed with young, very talented acts from Boston to
Nanaimo and the classic favorites you love too!
Viper Central, The Sweet Lowdown, The Lonely Heartstring Band, Daniel Lapp, The Clover Point Drifters,
Hub City Ramblers, The Garrett Tompson Band, Mile Twelve, The Blackwood Two, Archie Pateman and Annie Lou
... and YOMADA's House Stringband plays for a square
dance Saturday night under the big top tent.
Held every Father's Day weekend at the Sooke River Campground, the
festival is a family affair and very affordable, with day passes as low as
$10 or weekend passes for $50 (camping extra). Check out their website, and
get ready for a great weekend!
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in becoming a board member,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has "Other Business" they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member,
or email Lisa Feeney.
Only paid up 2015/2016 members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting.
The meeting will be followed by a jam, so don't forget to bring your instruments. Cake too !
As is our tradition, our last big musical gathering before summer is an open stage night. Get your bluegrass/old time band together and work up
a few songs to play for the appreciative crowd. Solos, Duets, Trio, and full
bands welcome - we'd like to see something from everyone.
Admission by donation for all players and viewers (we have to contribute to the
rent somehow!)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca.
Admission by donation.
Max's Midnight Kitchen is a nationally touring string band based out of Portland, Oregon. Their sound is characterized by the songs and harmonies of Matt Takiff
(acoustic guitar) and Daniel Nickerson (banjo and electric guitar), whose music combines time-honored folk, bluegrass, and country themes with a healthy dose of
surrealism and humour. Informed by travels up and down the interstates of the US and across international borders, their songs tell stories of wily characters and
paint pictures of the world as it goes by outside.
Max's Midnight Kitchen set off in early 2015 to spend a month touring the west coast in Blake, a much-loved green minivan. Matt and Daniel made a pit stop at Coyote
Hearing Studio in Oakland, CA to record a six song EP titled Travels with Blake. Working with producer Erik Yates of Hot Buttered Rum,
as well as Jan Purat and Alex Bice of Steep Ravine, the recordings reflect a new direction for the group, blurring genres and creating a style uniquely their own.
In addition to their original material, Max's Midnight Kitchen performs songs from American old-time folk and bluegrass traditions, along with some rock and country
classics thrown in for good measure. Whether performing in a noisy bar, a bustling farmer's market, or a hushed living room, the full feeling of their songs and stories
comes through loud and clear.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Bluegrass Fever has developed a solid reputation as one of the most
crowd-pleasing bluegrass bands. Banjo player Barrie Hemmings was a member
of
the original Bluegrass Fever band in Ontario in the nineteen-eighties, and
re-formed the band on Vancouver Island a number of years ago. The lead
vocals are looked after by Barrie Hemmings, along with guitarist Bob
Johns.
Bass player Guy Langlois provides some wonderful high harmonies. The
newest
member of the band is Steve Bastian, who plays the mandolin, and adds some
wonderful lead breaks.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Friday-Sunday April 10-12
various venues
3rd Annual Old-Time Tidal Wave
YOMADA and the Victoria Bluegrass Association are excited to present The 3rd Annual Old-Time Tidal Wave.
Together we bring mentors, instructors and musicians from across the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver Island.
It's a not-for-profit 3-day festival, produced by two passionate associations.
In the afternoon there will be workshops covering various oldtime music themes and instruments. More details here.
In the evening we descend on Norway House for a night of Square Dances led by callers Craig Marcuk and Charmaine Slaven. The YOMADA House Stringband and The Tallboys
will be providing the downbeat, upbeat, any old beat. Beverages served. No experience necessary, all dances taught on the spot. Don't worry, you will get it. All Ages.
Buy tickets for this single event
Festival Passes are no longer being sold, but Individual event tickets are still available. Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
Garrett has been an active member of the Victoria bluegrass scene for many years, playing with several bands and guesting with a few more.
In 2009, he was the recipient of the VBA bursary to the BC Bluegrass Workshop. He is a fine picker and a terrific singer, and it is a pleasure
to have this talented musician appear on the VBA stage as the leader of his own band.
The Garrett Tompson Band is a new five-member bluegrass unit from Victoria, inspired by the early J.D. Crowe and the New South.
They play straight-up bluegrass, while adding material and ideas from other genres, but always
keeping a bluegrass drive and harmonies. This may be a new
collaboration, but all five members have been marinated in bluegrass - the
drive and groove take care of themselves.
Members include Mike Kraft (banjo), Miriam Sonstenes (fiddle), Jeff Ellis (bass), Paul Lange (mandolin), and Garrett Tompson on Guitar.
All members provide lead and harmony vocals, but Garrett's warm country baritone voice is what we all anticipate hearing.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
The Foggy Hogtown Boys have become a Canadian bluegrass and roots music institution.
Their sound has influenced what's become a vibrant and youthful bluegrass
scene in this country. From the band's legendary 15 year residency at
Toronto's Silver Dollar Room; tours across Canada, the US, Europe and
Israel; teaching instrumental workshops across the county; as well as
individually recording as sidemen on hundreds of of albums, it is fair to
say they have made their mark.
2015 finds The Foggy Hogtown Boys (Andrew Collins, Chris Coole, Max
Heineman, Chris Quinn and John Showman) releasing their seventh album
Animals, Insects, and People. The new album, recorded mostly live, rings
with a looseness and maturity of a band that has nothing to prove, but a
whole lot to say. Strong original material, creative arrangements of
traditional bluegrass and old-time, and well chosen covers (Justin Townes
Earl, Roger Miller, Ralph Stanley) make for an engaging program.
Despite the band's high level of musicianship, they have always leaned
away from the slick and polished sound of modern bluegrass, favoring a
more weird, wild and funky approach to the genre. On stage, their
personal chemistry shines through, with a shared sense of humour and fun
that is infectious. Over the years their style has helped them win a
dedicated following, both from within the bluegrass community and beyond.
Hermann's Jazz Club is the perfect intimate venue to showcase Victoria's favourite bluegrass band. Get your tickets early - it's sure to sell out.
Doors open 6:00 pm. Advance tickets $20 general; $18 VBA Members(use the Member Password that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $25 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.588.2780
On the banjo, fiddle, and acoustic guitar, The Blackwood Two play an
engaging blend of original folk songs and traditional numbers delivered
with old-time charm. Thoughtful songwriting - heavily guided by a
mutual fascination of traditional music - drives the duo's unique, yet
familiar feeling sound. Warm tones and sunny melodies whisper cosmic
hints
from a bygone era. Making music together for over five years, they've
taken
their tunes to shows and festivals from coast to coast, and will be
releasing a new record early 2015.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Internationally acclaimed Foghorn Stringband has been at the
vanguard of a revival in American old-time music for over a
decade now. They've traveled the globe and inspired a new generation of old-time musicians
without compromising their love of traditional American music.
But they've gathered new ideas and new band members too. Their
unique sound is rooted in the fiery, intertwining melodies of
Stephen "Sammy" Lind's fiddle and Caleb Klauder's mandolin,
supported by the bedrock-solid rhythm foundation
of Reeb Willms' guitar and Nadine Landry's bass. And when it
comes to vocals, they deliver; four powerful and exceptional
voices resulting in countless combinations of harmonies. A typical
Foghorn set is based around exquisitely rare old-time tunes and
songs, but a vast knowledge of early country music and recent
explorations in Cajun song traditions have molded a powerful new
sound. Any band would be happy to have mastered one music
genre, but Foghorn Stringband have a roaming spirit, and are
already sparking new revivals of American roots music traditions.
Doors open 7:30 pm. Advance tickets $15 general; $12 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $20 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.388.4520
Wednesday January 28th
7:00pm - 10:00pm
location TBA
Workshops: Alan Munde and Bill Evans
The traveling duo are staying over an extra day in Victoria so they can lead workshops on the night after their concert.
This is a rare chance to learn from two legendary masters - players, stylists and teachers - of the banjo.
Check out the workshop description.
Join us for
this very special, one-of-a-kind concert bringing together two of the most
important and influential bluegrass banjo players of the last several decades,
performing bluegrass, original compositions, fiddle tunes on banjo, beautiful
slow songs and much, much more.
Alan Munde began his long career in bluegrass music with the 1968 recording of
Poor Richard's Almanac featuring Sam Bush and Wayne Stewart, followed by a
traditional grounding in bluegrass music as a member of IBMA Hall of Fame member
Jimmy Martin and the Sunny Mountain Boys. In 1972 Alan Joined his college
picking friend Byron Berline in the forward-leaning bluegrass group
Country
Gazette. Alan continued as the anchor of the group for 21 years. Along the
way, he recorded many highly regarded albums including Banjo Sandwich, and the
Festival Favorites series. Alan participated in the 2001 IBMA Instrumental
Album of the Year, Knee Deep in Bluegrass. His most recent recording is a duo
CD with mandolin player Billy Bright titled Bright Munde. He taught in the
Bluegrass Music Program at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas for 20
years. Alan has also published many instructional books for Mel Bay,
instructional DVDs for Texas Music and Video, and participated in music
workshops and camps both in America and Europe.
Bill Evans is an internationally-known
five-string banjo life force. As a performer, teacher, writer, scholar and composer,
he brings a deep knowledge, intense virtuosity and contagious passion to all
things banjo, with thousands of music fans and students from all over the world
in a career that spans over 35 years. In the last two years, Bill has
performed all across North America, Canada, England, Russia and Germany and has
appeared with the San Francisco Symphony and on A Prairie Home Companion with
Garrison Keillor. His book Banjo For Dummies, is the world's most widely read
book on the instrument and his 2012 CD In Good Company charted #1 on the Roots
Music Report Folk and Bluegrass Charts and the Folk DJ-List charts. Over a forty
year performing career, Bill has played with David Grisman, Peter Rowan, David
Bromberg, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard, Tony Trischka,
and Jody Stecher, and many others. He has produced numerous instructional
DVDs/books for Mel Bay, AcuTab, Homespun Tapes and the Murphy Method.
Doors open 7:30 pm This show pre-empts our regular Tuesday jam.
Advance tickets $25 general; $20 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $25 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.388.4520
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
Also, we will collect canned goods, gently used clothes,
(particularly outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels and last but not least, financial donations.
Doug Van Dine will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Let us know if you have something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite finger food to share
(savoury or sweet); your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:30 pm The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:45pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
In what has become a Victoria tradition, John Reischman and the Jaybirds are fluttering into town for their 6th Annual Christmas Concert and Benefit.
You can expect the usual intimate performance, stunning instrumentals and soaring harmonies
from these masters of acoustic music.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the music, Vancouver's John Reischman is
one of the acoustic world's top-ranked mandolin players and
composers, renowned for his exquisite taste, tone and impeccable musicianship.
He is revered for his ability to play genres ranging from bluegrass to jazz to hot
swing to Latin and beyond.
The Jaybirds are four musicians renowned in
their own right: Jim Nunally, guitarist, vocalist, composer and
producer from the San Francisco Bay Area; Trisha Gagnon on bass and
vocals from Chilliwack, BC; Nick Hornbuckle, from Nanaimo, on 5-
string banjo, and from Spokane, Greg Spatz on fiddle.
The band has accumulated several European and North American tours, five critically acclaimed albums, two Juno nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Award
nominations. Like the mandolinist at its helm, the group fashions a stylish, elegant take on bluegrass that is at once innovative and unadorned, sophisticated
and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned, yet unselfconsciously new. Their live show has a genial blend of story-telling and side-show humor
behind their studied performance of original songs, instrumentals, and freshly arranged traditional material.
They will have a brand new EP tucked
under their wings, entitled On a Winter's Night.
This is a collection
of eight wintery traditional tunes, largely inspired by an album of seasonal folk
songs released in 1992 by the Seeger family (Mike, Peggy and Penny), and features some pared down
instrument combinations as well as the full
strength Jaybirds sound. John assures us you'll
enjoy this album as much with a mojito next
summer, as you will with your egg nog this
December.
Advance tickets at Brown Paper Tickets$25 general; $20 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $30 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.388.4520
These boys lay down hard-driving traditional Bluegrass, from gospel
to foot-to-the-floor ravers, original compositions and timeless classics.
Their authentic sound is brought to life by first-class
arrangements, soul-inspired lead vocals, and experienced heartfelt harmony.
This band puts on a show. Beneath the sartorial splendour of white Stetsons, they
weave around a single microphone to deliver tight harmonies and
superb instrument solos in a captivating performance with a truly
unique retrophonic twist.
Phil Shaver from Erin Ontario fronts the act with his solid
rhythm guitar and classic bluegrass voice in the key of high lonesome.
Aaron Murray out of Moncton New Brunswick adds a traditional bluesy
Monroe-style mandolin and a solid tenor voice. They work together on the songwriting.
Paul Lange from Winnipeg anchors the band with his straight-forward upright bass.
Banjo & Fiddle will be covered by our west coast local guns, Mike Kraft & Daniel Lapp.
If you are a lover of bluegrass, expect to be entertained with this must see combo.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
The Caleb Klauder Country Band represents the best of the US Northwest music scene.
Leading with vocals, guitar, and a mandolin, Caleb hosts some of the area's best singers and players creating a honky-tonk band that stands out
as a totem in the country music scene.
The band performs Caleb's praised original songs right alongside classics from George Jones, The Louvin Brothers and Dolly
Parton, all at once sounding timeless, fresh, and alive. There is a drive to his music that makes it unique and captivating.
This is country music made for people who want to have fun and who want to dance, harking back to the old dance hall days when
people of all walks of life came together to simply dance, socialize, and enjoy live music.
Caleb was raised on Orcas Island, Washington and now lives in Portland, Oregon, yet his maternal family roots lay in East Tennessee.
His mother, originally from Knoxville, moved her family out west when Caleb was only a year old. These deep family roots contribute to
Caleb's music, tapping into old memories to bring you the strong singing and spirited attitude that give his music an edge that is both cutting and sweet.
Band members include Jesse Emerson on upright bass, Ned Folkerth on drums, Reeb Willms on vocals and guitar, Russ Blake on pedal steel and electric guitar,
and Sam Weiss on fiddle.
And for the first time (thanks to revised federal regulations), the VBA is hosting a show in an actual bar. We are indebted to the folks at My Bar who are
bending over backwards to make this show work.
Not only do we have a top-knotch band from Portland playing, we also have a truly mighty-fine local opening band Mighty Fine Remedies,
featuring Dan Weisenburger, Adrian Dolan, Cluny MacPherson, Marc Jenkins, and Sean Thompson.
Cluny is not only the bassist for the opening band, he is also the head chef at My Bar. He is working up a one-night-only Cajun Gumbo Special. So come early for some dinner.
Advance tickets $12 general; $10 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $15 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.388.4520
"I've wanted to learn to sing harmony for years and now I can. Thank you!"
- Jane, USA
"As a result of your course I am now very comfortably able to easily find a good harmony. I now can just hear it and hit it."
- David, USA
Do you love to sing with others? Wish you could easily sing harmonies both above and below the melody? If so, come join us for a fun, high-energy day
of singing and harmonizing with noted bluegrass vocal coach and harmony teacher, Sue Thompson.
In this lively seminar, Sue will share her proven method for finding great-sounding harmony parts naturally and intuitively,
without needing anyone else to teach you what notes to sing.
If you're new to harmony singing, you'll get the essential skills and confidence you need to figure out harmonies to hundreds of songs.
If you're an experienced harmony singer, you'll get techniques you need to sing harmony on-the-fly - even the first time you hear a song
- without needing to stop and work out your part note-by-note.
• No note-reading or bogging down in music theory.
• You'll learn to harmonize the natural, intuitive way that the pros use.
• Seminar will include small group practice with personalized coaching from Sue.
You'll also learn how to:
• Improve your vocal blend, even with singers whose voices are very different than yours.
• Solve harmony problems that arise when men and women sing together.
• Improve vocal power and projection without straining, especially on high and low notes.
"C'était très sympa et le public a adoré."
- Pierre, France
"Thank you for making this workshop a great experience. I had great fun and I finally found a key to singing harmony that will really work!"
- Fride, Norway
"I recognized a huge improvement in my singing after just one lesson with you. I amazed myself! And it was so simple."
- Mary, USA
Great for bluegrass, old time, folk, Americana, worship, and many other styles of music. To get the most out of this seminar,
it's best if you can already sing a melody reasonably in tune. If you're comfortable playing guitar, mandolin or banjo,
please bring your instrument with you, as it will be helpful in our small group practice sessions. Come alone or bring your singing buddies or your band!
The workshop consists of two 2-hour sessions - 4 hours in total. The morning session (10am to noon) is more geared toward beginners, while the afternoon
session (2pm to 4pm) will focus more on experienced singers. Singers wanting to get the most out of the workshop should enroll in both sessions.
Fees: Both Sessions (4 hours) $55 general, $45 for VBA members One Session (2 hours) $30 general, $25 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Just before Halloween, our first big musical gathering of the season. Get your bluegrass/old time band together and work up
a few songs to play for the appreciative crowd. Solos, Duets, Trio, and full
bands welcome - we'd like to see something from everyone.
Admission by donation for all players and viewers (we have to contribute to the
rent somehow!)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca.
Admission by donation.
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado is a high energy, high mountain bluegrass explosion,
that features the amazing banjo playing of Jeff Scroggins.
Jeff's fiery style and lightning fast licks have earned him many fans worldwide, and have left many a first time listener in stunned disbelief.
It also features the award winning mandolin playing of Jeff's son Tristan Scroggins. Tristan is also an accomplished songwriter, and his and Jeff's
original instrumentals play a large role in the band's unique and energetic sound.
The band also features incredible bluegrass vocals, led by the powerful voice of frontman Greg Blake. Greg has twice been nominated for the SPBGMA
Traditional Male Vocalist of the Year award, and his phenomenal bluegrass guitar playing has earned him 9 nominations and an amazing 5 consecutive
wins as SPBGMA Guitarist of the Year
"Jeff Scroggins and Colorado have a wonderful emotional intensity that immediately grabs the listener. Though well rooted in tradition, they can also stretch
the boundaries without taking them to the breaking point. I've known Jeff for many years, and it's great to hear how fabulous his playing has become.
Taste and technical brilliance abound. The bands vocals are also smooth and inviting and the arrangements are inventive. Give these guys a listen and
you'll be amply rewarded with their rich musical tapestry."
- Tony Trischka
"In an age when bluegrass music is sounding more and more generic, Jeff Scroggins and Colorado are a cut above the rest with their choice of songs,
great musicianship and devotion to fine arrangements."
- Craig Korth
Doors open 7:30 pm This show pre-empts our regular Tuesday jam.
Advance tickets $25 general; $20 for VBA Members (use the Discount Code that was emailed to you). Tickets are also sold at any VBA event.
Price at the door is $25 for all.
More info: tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.388.4520
Genevieve Charbonneau is a Cowichan Valley singer/songwriter with a brand new solo album produced by Marc Atkinson.
The Wild Sundays are Kelly Sherwin (upright bass), Laura Carleton (percussion) and Chandra Crowe (mandolin).
The music is rooted in folk and old-time country, incorporating bluegrass rhythms, traditional folk,
Americana and pop. Kelly and Genevieve are long-time members of award-winning vocal ensemble Balkan Babes, and Laura has performed and
studied choral music for many years. The women use this combined experience to create rich three part harmonies.
They deliver a powerful and engaging live show, with breathtaking moments and lively storytelling.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Kick off the festival-camping season with mighty lively Bluegrass,
Old-Time Music and Dance. PLUS endless jamming, happy food vendors, kids
fun zone, performer seminars, and more!
Held every Father's Day weekend at the Sooke River Campground, the
festival is a family affair and very affordable, with day passes as low as
$10 or weekend passes for $50 (camping extra). Check out their website, and
get ready for a great weekend!
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
We also elect our Board for the next year. If you are interested in becoming a board member,
please email nomination@victoriabluegrass.ca
If any member has "Other Business" they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member, or call 250-388-4520 (Alan Law).
Only paid up 2014/2015 members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting.
The meeting will be followed by a jam, so don't forget to bring your instruments. Cake too !
Saturday May 31
2pm to 4pm
location TBA
Workshop: Bluegrass Fiddle with Miriam Sonstenes
Intermediate Bluegrass Fiddle
Know a couple of bluegrass tunes already but want to play them with style
and confidence? In this class we'll take a couple of straight forward
tunes and add some spice to really get that bluegrass sound, while getting
to know some of the key elements of bluegrass fiddling. Double stops,
blues scales, bowing patterns, typical kick-offs and endings will all be
explored, as well as how to embellish a tune to make it your own.
You'll
walk away with some new tools, new ideas and some fun ways to approach the
tunes you already know and love. Please bring a recording device!
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
As is our tradition, our last big musical gathering before summer is an open stage night. Get your bluegrass/old time band together and work up
a few songs to play for the appreciative crowd. Solos, Duets, Trio, and full
bands welcome - we'd like to see something from everyone.
Admission by donation for all players and viewers (we have to contribute to the
rent somehow!)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca.
Admission by donation.
Workshops: Oldtime Instrument Styles with Roscoe's Gone
An old-Southern-style String Band
Roscoe's Gone presents string music on fiddle, banjo and guitar, with
songs borrowed from the southern mountain residents of the past couple
of centuries. The traditional music is extended by them
through original songs and fiddle tunes in the same idioms, shaped by
the long periods lived by all three of its members in several southern
states while playing in local bands. The band is currently part of
Seattle's intense old-time music culture, appearing on stage and at
dances on a regular basis.
They are playing a House Concert on Friday May 16th, and next night they will be playing for the regular contradance at St Matthias.
In between they are offering three simultaneous workshops on fiddle, clawhammer banjo, and rhythm guitar.
Hank Bradley began with fiddle and banjo in 1961, and soon learned much
more during his two Army years in North Carolina. He has returned to
Virginia three times as fiddler with a local Galax band, the Mountain
Ramblers, where once stood the mighty Otis Burris. He was the
Washington State fiddle champion of 1975, and was a founding faculty
member of the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend.
Hank will dig into the sounds, scales and energy of
southern fiddlers, whose traditions are largely influenced by centuries
of solo playing, but have recently adapted to interactions with other
instruments, particularly the five-string banjo, and musical exchanges
with the African-American culture of the south.
Candy Goldman has been playing and teaching clawhammer banjo for over 30
years. Her music is deeply influenced from time spent visiting and
playing with tradition bearers from the southeast such as Clyde
Davenport, Melvin Wine and Tommy Jarrell. She has taught at numerous
music camps such as The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Mars Hill
Oldtime Week and Walker Creek.
Her workshop will present some songs and tunes from Kentucky fiddle/banjo player Clyde
Davenport. She'll focus on the little banjo tricks that add interest and
texture to your playing. This class is for advanced beginner to
intermediate students that are experienced with the clawhammer and
drop-thumb techniques.
Bill Meyer has been playing old time fiddle, banjo and guitar since the 1960s when he
accidentally discovered it in a collection of country and blues
recordings at the library. He's played in many different bands since he
moved to Seattle from Ann Arbor in 1980.
Bill says, "Any kind of guitar workshop would be fine
with me. A little back up guitar technique, maybe Carter Family picking,
too. It depends who shows up."
The musicians of Roscoe's Gone will cheerfully pass on all possible
details and techniques of these musical idioms, to enable and encourage
the newer musicians who will be sweeping them from the stage before
breakfast.
Much of the workshop information must be demonstrated, for learning by
ear. We strongly recommend bringing recording or video devices to
capture permanent records, or evidence for the sheriff, as you prefer.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Ruari McLennan 250.920.6624 or email r.mclennan@shaw.ca
The Kathy Kallick Band had a fabulous 2013, including a hit
album/song, cover story in Bluegrass Unlimited and nice article in
Acoustic Guitar, accolades aplenty, and some great concerts and festivals (RockyGrass,
Strawberry, Pickin' In the Pines, High Mountain Hay
Fever, IBMA showcases, etc.)
Time, the CD and the song, is the hit. It's the 17th album released by Kathy, recordings
which include over 100 of her compositions. Its mixture of original and
classic material mirrors the distinctive combination of traditional and
contemporary sensibilities that has come to define the Kathy Kallick Band.
Time and the KKB's previous release, Between the Hollow and the High-Rise,
and its title track Where Is My Little Cabin Home have spent more time
in the national bluegrass charts than any other 2010-13 releases, and also
were the highest-ranked bluegrass releases on the folk-dj chart in those
years.
Kathy has won a Grammy and two IBMA Awards for her part onTrue
Life Blues: The Songs Of Bill Monroe, received a Lifetime Membership from
the California Bluegrass Association, co-founded the
internationally-acclaimed band Good Ol' Persons, performed and
recorded with the Frank Wakefield Band, appeared on three high-profile
Rounder collections of bluegrass songs by women, wrote and recorded
award-winning music for children and families, toured throughout North
America / Europe / Japan, had five title tracks and albums each spend a
year in the upper echelon of the national bluegrass charts, and
collaborated with the country's top acoustic musicians - including her
mighty current band: Annie Staninec (fiddle), Tom Bekeny (mandolin), Greg Booth (dobro, banjo),
and Cary Black (acoustic bass)
"Kathy's working with the finest group she's ever assembled. Fare Thee
Well is delivered with a beautifully restrained ache by Kallick, further
enhanced by a tender, tear-stained dobro solo from Greg Booth that emerges
right out of the shadow of Clinch Mountain, and on Long Time Travelin',
Kallick's and Staninec's dour voices are positively haunting, a mood
elevated to greater affect by the latter's spare clawhammer banjo and
ominous fiddle cries. These and other songs make Time an unforgettable
document; they seep into your consciousness slowly but inexorably, and you
find yourself cueing up the album again and again. Each time you do, you
learn a little more, and you're richer for the experience."
- David McGee, Deep Roots
Led by one of the music's extraordinary composers and vocalists, the Kathy
Kallick Band has nearly as much fun as the audience when performing. The
material is compelling, the tone ranges from humorous to bittersweet to
soulful, the instrumental playing is electric, the vocals luminous, the
presentation inclusive. As was once said about another California band:
They're not just the best at what they do; they're the only ones who do
what they do.
"This is a top-notch band led by a woman with the warmest, richest voice
in our music today."
- Katy Daley, WAMU's Bluegrass Country
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Doors open: 7:30 pm For this Special Concert, our regular Tuesday jam is pre-empted. Admission: Online tickets are $22 general; VBA Members should enter the Discount Code that was emailed to them. Tickets are also sold at any VBA event. Price at the door is $25 for all.
For more information, email tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca or phone 250.388.4520
The Victoria Times-Colonist called this duo the "finest example"
of old time gospel "to come out of this region, perhaps even Canada."
In addition to their reputation as performers of traditional material the duo
also features the original songs of member Andy Ruszel, whose songs have been covered by Juno award winners like Charlotte Diamond and the Rovers.
Andy's daddy was a railroad man, he went to a little white church on Sunday,
and he grew up on an old dirt road just outside of Toronto.
His gospelating compadre is Larry Lawrence who plays lead guitar and handles the tenor harmony lines.
Larry grew up and has deep musical roots on the streets of Kansas City.
You don't have to know a lot about Old Time Gospel music to get caught up in their sing-along atmosphere, with enough story-telling and humour to bring along
folk, country and bluegrass audiences alike for the ride. You will walk away with a heart that has been cheered.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Saturday April 26
1pm to 3pm
location TBA
Workshop: Bluegrass Jamming with Tad Ruszel
Ever been curious about how everyone in a bluegrass jam just seems to
know what to do: what harmonies to sing; when to take a solo; how to lead a
jam? Fear not, there are simple tips and tricks to knowing how to fit in on your instrument.
There is no "right way" to jam, but there are some tried and true
methods for jamming that can help you get the most out of your experience
Tad Ruszel (The Moonshiners, One Bright Morning) will teach the basic roles
of each instrument and how they all fit together to make a happening jam.
You will learn about listening to others, supporting the lead player or
singer, and even how to lead a jam yourself.
Some skills you can expect to walk away with are: knowledge of the
Nashville numbering system, controlling volume, transposing keys, using
a capo (guitars only), staying in tune/in time, following or
leading a song, offering breaks, starting and ending smoothly, and
singing harmony on the fly. How can we learn all that in just 2 short hours? You'll just
have to show up and find out for yourself !
All traditional bluegrass instruments are welcome, including fiddle,
banjo, mandolin, dobro, guitar and bass. There is limited space for some
instruments so please sign up soon.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Buddy Greene brings a wide variety of southern Americana influences to his music to create a unique musical hybrid of country, bluegrass, folk, gospel and traditional blues.
In addition to his solid reputation as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, Buddy has established himself as one of Nashville's finest harmonica stylists.
His live concerts are equal parts hymn sing, jam session, church house revival, and journey through his own musical history.
"I've spent 40 years looking for ways to adapt the harmonica to bluegrass
music. It's got a history in old-time, country, and Celtic music, but
bluegrass, being more of a string band format, can pose a challenge.
However, throughout the history of bluegrass music, there have been
innovators who have made room for instruments other than those
traditionally associated with bluegrass. I'm thinking of the Osborne
Brothers using drums and electric guitar, or Flatt and Scruggs using
Charlie McCoy on harmonica, or even Bill Monroe who, for a short while,
had an accordion player in the band. I'd like to talk about and
demonstrate how I have met that challenge as a harmonica player. If folks
want to bring their instruments to interact and play, I would welcome
that."
You can also catch Buddy Greene with Jeff Taylor at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel, as part of the
Tribute to Nashville concert series.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday April 05
1pm to 3pm
location TBA
Workshop: Singing with Oliver Swain
Taking the Lead
Oliver Swain is a Juno and WCMA nominated Americana and Folk-Noir
singer whose education in vocals
includes studying with Ginny Hawker & Tracy Swartz(New Lost City Ramblers),
triple Grammy Nominee Toni Childs and collaborating with dozens of great
singers including Ruth Moody and Pharis Romero.
Great singers of all genres seem to know just the right time in a song to
hit that high note, hushed tone or throw in the perfect ornament. Oliver
will explore treating every song and performance individually to draw out
the meaning and find the opportunities to strut your stuff. Basic ornaments
and technique, following the narrative, pitch stability and discovering
your voice will all be covered in this workshop.
All voices are welcome.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Two days of concerts, workshops, and dance in downtown Victoria BC, featuring:
Squirrel Butter (Seattle), Oliver Swain (Victoria), The Cumberland Brothers (guess), Hi-O Revelers (Bellingham), Twin Bandit (Vancouver),
YOMADA House Band, and more. Full details at YOMADA.
FRIDAY 7pm Concert at St. Andrew's Church 4 acts. $15adv/$20door
SATURDAY Brunch and Clogging Workshop at Logan's Pub, Instrument Workshops at Fernwood Community Centre,
7pm Old-Time Honky Tonk Dance at Kirk Hall, featuring 3 bands and 3 Callers $10adv/$15door.
Kid's Dance Kick-off with Paul Silveria (Vancouver), Kids FREE ! All dances taught on the spot.
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Mick and Cluny's friendship began in
2011 during a jam at Cluny's house in Victoria. They kept bumping into
each between Mick's summer tree planting contracts, always finding time to
play a few tunes together. Then, in 2013, Mick joined Cluny in the Moonshiners as their mandolin player. The two have been honing
their chops together ever since. Soon they will go
into the studio to record some original songs with producer
Adrian Dolan and bassist Oliver Swain. Join the duo as they showcase their
talents on banjo, guitar and mandolin.
And be sure to check out Cluny's Indiegogo Campaign
to raise funds for his solo studio project.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
"Jamie and Hannah, your two original duets were simply some of the
sweetest, most lovely things I've ever heard, and I regret that my most
prosaic of souls could not express that in any more meaningful way that
evening . . . I can't remember the lyrics or the
melodies of the music you offered, but I will never forget how it made me
feel." - Jonathan Andrew Govias, Conductor
Vancouver's Twin Bandit is Hannah Walker and Jamie Elliott. Together they create an
intimate acoustic performance with strong harmonies and original songs.
Victoria fans know Jamie from her time there as part of aptly-named Sirens trio.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Riverside Bluegrass Band holds some of
the best players and singers on the Island: Angus MacKenzie on guitar, Larry Stevens
on dobro, Mike Kraft on banjo, Paul Lange on mandolin and Eric Adams on
bass. Talented, energetic, exciting and always fun to watch.
In 1996, certified luthier Angus Mackenzie joined Nova Scotia band Grassfire, which went on to
win five East Coast Music Awards (he was also nominated for Male Vocalist. He moved to Victoria in 1999, met
bass player Eric Adams at a VBA jam, and soon after they formed the band The
Lost Connection. They have been picking together ever since.
Larry Stevens moved to Victoria from Vancouver 15 years ago. While living on the continent, Larry played in many
bands including the New Nash Ramblers, Sons of Bluegrass and the Bluegrass Princesses. Yes, he was a princess.
He also plays in other bands, and he frequents several jams around town. His velvet-throated baritone shines on country and bluegrass ballads.
Paul Lange started at a young age in his family's band, performing
gospel and country music. After several recordings and years honing
his musical skills he went on to play with numerous bands, performing across
western Canada and the northern USA. We are fortunate that he now calls Victoria home.
Mike Kraft acquired his musicality from his father, who was always willing
to play and teach, whether it was a bass line or a vocal line.
Like so many, when Mike heard Earl Scruggs he was smitten by the
5-string banjo and its role in bluegrass music. Country, swing or bluegrass,
he shows an innovative and playful presence. He moved to the Island from Quebec over 30 years ago, and he enjoys playing in a number
of local bands.
Eric Adams started playing and singing bluegrass music 30 years ago when he
formed a band in Regina called the Rusty Musket Finance
Company. Since then, he has played in numerous bands across western
Canada, including the Award winning New Nash Ramblers, The Lost Connection,
and Last Train. Eric provides passion, an energetic persona, and a hard-driving upright bass to the band.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event is our annual end of year holiday event.
All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated to The Mustard Seed.
Also, we will collect canned goods, gently used clothes,
(particularly outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels and last but not least, financial donations.
Doug Van Dine will be running his famous bluegrass-oriented auction. Let us know if you have something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won't want to miss this event.
Please bring your favourite finger food to share
(savoury or sweet); your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and wads of cash for Doug's fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old.
Doors open: 7:30 pm The deadline for joining the band scramble is 7:45pm, so don't miss out. Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members, plus your donation to the Mustard Seed
Due to popular demand, we are replacing our regular jam night with
an open stage night. Get your bluegrass/old time band together and work up
a few songs to play for the appreciative crowd. Solos, Duets, Trio, and full
bands welcome--we'd like to see something from everyone.
Admission by donation for all players and viewers (we have to contribute to the
rent somehow!)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca.
In what has become a Victoria tradition, John Reischman and the Jaybirds are fluttering into town for their 5th Annual Christmas Concert and Benefit.
The show has moved to the larger confines of Cordova Bay United Church, but you can expect the usual intimate performance, stunning instrumentals and soaring harmonies
from these masters of acoustic music.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with the music, John Reischman is
one of the acoustic world's top-ranked mandolin players and
composers, renowned for his exquisite taste, tone and impeccable musicianship.
He is revered for his ability to play genres ranging from bluegrass to jazz to hot
swing to Latin and beyond.
John, now living in Vancouver, toured and recorded for many years with California's eclectic
Good Ol' Persons playing traditional and contemporary bluegrass and
acoustic music, and helped define the groundbreaking new acoustic
instrumental scene as a member of the Tony Rice Unit with appearances
on the band's groundbreaking Rounder albums Still Inside and Backwaters.
The Jaybirds are four musicians renowned in
their own right: Jim Nunally, guitarist, vocalist, composer and
producer from the San Francisco Bay Area; Trisha Gagnon on bass and
vocals from Chilliwack, BC; Nick Hornbuckle, from Nanaimo, on 5-
string banjo, and from Spokane, Greg Spatz on fiddle.
The band has accumulated several European and North American tours, five critically acclaimed albums, two Juno nominations and two Canadian Folk Music Award
nominations. Like the mandolinist at its helm, the group fashions a stylish, elegant take on bluegrass that is at once innovative and unadorned, sophisticated
and stripped-down, happily old-fashioned, yet unselfconsciously new. Their live show has a genial blend of story-telling and side-show humor
behind their studied performance of original songs, instrumentals, and freshly arranged traditional material.
Doors open: 7:30 pm Tickets: $25 at TicketRocket 250.590.6291,
$28 at the door.
VBA members price is $20, sold only at VBA events, or members can reserve tickets by email
tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca. More info: 250.388.4520
Bryon Thompson is a graduate from both UVIC Music and Malaspina Jazz
departments. His love for vocal harmony is evident in the music of Bryon,
Clayton, Thomas and various other groups he has performed in. His favorite
thing to do is to help others discover their love of music by using their
unique built-in instrument.
Last year we learned how harmonies are built. This time round we will
be focusing on learning actual harmonies from 6-10 Bluegrass Standards.
Includes Mp3's plus charts, taught over two sessions (also Nov 2nd: you can attend one or both.) you
can add a handful of songs to your repertoire and enhance your
jams with harmonies as well.
Come prepared to have fun. Bring instruments as well if you are
comfortable with reading charts, but the class will be focusing on the singing.
You don't need to have any harmony singing experience.
Fees: $40 general, $30 for VBA members (both sessions) or $25/$20 for one session To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Bowker Creek draws its musical influences from folk, country, rock and roll, old time, swing and, yes, even bluegrass.
They perform both original compositions and tunes from a wide range of artists from Alison Krauss to Ray Charles.
Bonnie Jean Duncan (vocal and guitar), Duncan Sutherland (guitar and vocal), Martin Matychuk (standup bass and vocal),
Dan Ready (mandolin, 6 and 12-string guitars) and Doug VanDine (5-string banjo).
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
Oliver Swain, a Juno and WCMA nominated Americana and Folk-Noir bassist
and vocalist, spent a dozen years in some of North Americas most loved roots
bands (Outlaw Social, The Duhks, The Bills) before releasing In a BIG
MACHINE in 2011 to rave reviews. Oliver has drawn on 20+ years of bass
playing to create a style unique and well informed by tradition. He's
studied with many of the greatest bassist in North America including
Marc Schatz(Bluegrass), Marc Ruben(Slap) and Gary Karr(Bow).
The workshop will cover everything from basic technique, strength and precision
building exercises, to slap and bow technique.
Get some ideas on how to build your part based on the song and
the soloist/vocalist, as well as where and when the bassist can guide the jam.
All skill levels are welcome.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
It seems mighty right that the next Theme Jam will be Bluegrass Gospel. Be prepared to join in and inspire the inner circle of like minded players.
The Gospel jam will be guided by Bruce Bowering, who has a real interest in this genre.
These jams are like any other - you are welcome to join the inner circle - but need to bring along
a song or tune to share. It helps if you bring songs you have rehearsed
and can perform comfortably. If you can deliver your song "off-book", even better!
Players need to be proficient enough to follow the chords, keep a good rhythm, and perhaps take the odd break.
Listeners and quiet plunkers outside the circle are welcome too.
Admission: suggested donation $3 general, $2 for VBA members
Learn how to build solos and have them sound
like the melody, while never playing the same thing twice.
This workshop will be focused on improvisation and how to use the main
melody notes as a guide to creating your own solos. Expect to learn about
major and minor pentatonic scales, blues notes and arpeggios and how to
utilize and properly apply them in your "break". Then we will look at
how to identify what scale/mode to use to try and capture the overall
identity of the song. We will go over some "tricks" used by some of the best
players in bluegrass music and much much more.
This workshop is for all melody instruments. Taught
by a master of the form, for much less than the cost of a private lesson of the same
length.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Tad grew up steeped in acoustic music, but as a young teenager he was also a lover of the
complexity and speed of metal guitarists. He quickly
grew tired of the loudness and distortion, so when he heard Tony Rice's The Bluegrass Guitar Collection
he realized that was what he wanted to do.
It took a few years to start his own musical career, but 4 albums later, he is still as excited about it
as when he heard Blackberry Blossom for the first time.
Tad performs regularly in many styles, and he has been a staple the Coombs
and Sooke Bluegrass Festivals with his earlier band Skagway, and now his present
group, The Mighty Moonshiners. He was also the guitar teacher at Mulberry Lane School of Music
in Duncan BC.
In this workshop you will learn simple ways to train your hand and ear,
learn the 2 most common chords shapes to flatpick out of, the scale patterns that go with them,
a tune or two in each position, hand strengthening exercises, and how to begin finding the melody in a jam.
Please bring a capo. You will be welcome to record audio/video for your
own personal use later on. Tad will summarize each lesson block at the end of each session.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Bryon Thompson is a graduate from both UVIC Music and Malaspina Jazz
departments. His love for vocal harmony is evident in the music of Bryon,
Clayton, Thomas and various other groups he has performed in. His favorite
thing to do is to help others discover their love of music by using their
unique built-in instrument.
Last year we learned how harmonies are built. This time round we will
be focusing on learning actual harmonies from 6-10 Bluegrass Standards.
Includes Mp3's plus charts, taught over two sessions (also Dec 7th: you can attend one or both.) you
can add a handful of songs to your repertoire and enhance your
jams with harmonies as well.
Come prepared to have fun. Bring instruments as well if you are
comfortable with reading charts, but the class will be focusing on the singing.
You don't need to have any harmony singing experience.
Fees: $40 general, $30 for VBA members (both sessions) or $25/$20 for one session To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
The Dirksen Stevenson Trio are award winning musicians Don and Therese
Dirksen and Garry Stevenson. The trio has a choice repertoire of
contemporary and traditional Bluegrass drawn from favourites compiled over
many years.
The Dirksen's fine vocal blend has taken them to Louisville Kentucky, as
finalists in the Pizza Hut International Bluegrass Showdown. Don is a
multiple banjo contest winner, including two times Western Canadian Banjo
Champion. On upright bass, Therese is a gifted luthiere, who studied with
legendary luthier and musician Michael Dunn. Among the many fine guitars,
mandolins and fiddles that she has built, is the banjo Don performs with.
Therese and Don have two recordings featuring members of their award
winning group, Goldstream.
Guitar wizard Garry Stevenson is a three time Western Canadian Guitar
Champion and highly sought after performer, guitar and mandolin
instructor. He is also a founding member of 5 On A String, one of the
hardest working and enduring Bluegrass Bands in B.C. 5 On A String has
multiple recordings and toured Vancouver Island this summer.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers
For our first theme jam of the season, we're making it easy for all you pickers to join in. While these tunes may have originated from old-time fiddle music,
they are played by all bluegrass instruments. And you're welcome to sing any lyrics that go with these tunes. Moderated by Paul
Moquin.
These jams are like any other - you are welcome to join the inner circle - but you need to bring
a tune to share. You are strongly encouraged to bring songs you have rehearsed
and can perform comfortably. Some of you like to work from a songbook or chart, and that is ok, but
everyone will have the most fun if you can perform without burying your face in a book.
Tunes/Songs must meet the theme, and you cannot pass when it's your turn to select a tune.
If you do not have a tune to lead that is in the theme, you must leave the circle, making room for someone else.
Similarly, you cannot pass when it's your turn for a break (you can opt to play rhythm instead of taking any breaks).
Players need to be proficient enough to follow the chords and keep a good rhythm.
Listeners and quiet plunkers outside the circle are welcome too.
Admission: Players: $3 general, $2 VBA members, Listeners: by donation More info: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Special Concert: John Reischman and the Pine Siskins
The Pine Siskins is a new group John Reischman assembled to perform the music from his recent solo CD, Walk Along John. The all-instrumental recording includes nine new John Reischman originals, a few hand-picked traditional tunes, and a remake of the very first tune John wrote.
"Expect to find Walk Along John on a whack of 2013 top 10 lists, including mine."
- Alex Varty, The Georgia Straight
This will be an opportunity for the audience to hear John play with a new cast of characters and features Steve Charles on bass, and Eli West on guitar and bouzouki.
As one of the acoustic music world's top-ranked mandolin players and composers, veteran artist John Reischman is renowned for his exquisite taste, tone and impeccable musicianship. As an original member of the legendary Tony Rice Unit, John helped to define the "new acoustic" instrumental scene in the early 1980s with appearances on the band's groundbreaking Rounder albums Still Inside and Backwaters.
He cemented his reputation touring and recording for many years with the Bay Area's eclectic Good Ol' Persons before moving to Vancouver in the early 90s to pursue a solo career.
His mastery of the instrument is showcased today in two primary musical outlets - the Juno-nominated bluegrass band John Reischman and the Jaybirds, and his instrumental duo with highly-regarded acoustic guitar stylist John Miller.
Eli West is one half of the highly acclaimed Northwest duo Cahalen Morrison & Eli West. He is an adventurous soloist equally adept at playing fiddle tunes and slow ballads. His rhythm playing features unusual and sophisticated chord voicings that strongly support the melody. Also adept at bouzouki, mandolin, and clawhammer banjo, he finds his musical identity in collaboration, and has created music in the Northwest with John Reischman, Tony Furtado, and many others.
Steve Charles is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and musical director from Vancouver, BC. He tours internationally with bands Viper Central, The Redboot Quartet and The Fugitives and is very active in Vancouver's music scene. He produced Whiskey Hollow Bound, a compilation CD of local Bluegrass and Old-time music. Highlights of the past few years include performances at many Folk Festivals, Fringe Festivals and Jazz Festivals across Canada, the U.S., and Europe. He arranged Leonard Cohen's music and acted in the productions of Chelsea Hotel at the Firehall Theatre.
Doors open: 7:30 pm Tickets: $22 at Larsen Music, Long and McQuade. $18 for VBA members, sold only at VBA events. You can reserve tickets by sending your request details to
tickets@victoriabluegrass.ca. More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
For the past 10 years the Tishomingo String Band have been treating
Vancouver audiences to their own particularly haunting brand of high
energy acoustic music. Featuring Colin Cowan (Dan Mangan/ Analog Bell
Service) on upright bass, Chris Russell on guitar, Jacob Russell on
Mandolin and Devon Wells (Clumsy Lovers) on banjo the group performs
original and traditional material that runs the gamut from tender
heartbreakers to barn burning instrumentals. Combining the drive of
classic bluegrass with a notion to explore and a sense of humour the
Tishomingo boys like to keep things lively and unpredictable.
The band has performed at various outdoor festivals and hosts a regular
Sunday night bluegrass show at the Portside Pub in Gastown. They were
featured on the cable access variety show Paul Anthony's Talent Time as
well as the live music website Everyday Music Project
and in the documentary film O World. They have one album
Tish Boogie
and are dangerously close to completing a second record.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: suggested donation $7 general, $5 for VBA members and open stage performers More info:bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
The AGM is your opportunity to get involved, to give us input on what type of activities you would like to see the VBA organize,
and to make suggestions on how to improve on anything we are doing at the present time.
If any member has "Other Business" they wish to raise at the AGM, please submit it in writing to any current board member, or call 250-388-4520 (Alan Law).
Only paid up 2013/2014 members can voice an opinion and vote at the meeting.
The meeting will be followed by a jam, so don't forget to bring your instruments. Cake too !
Due to popular demand, we are having another open stage night. Get your bluegrass/old time band together and work up
a few songs to play for the appreciative crowd. Solos, Duets, Trio, and full
bands welcome--we’d like to see something from everyone.
Admission by donation for all players and viewers (we have to contribute to the
rent somehow!)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca.
Admission by donation.
Come learn a set
of Victoria's standard old time fiddle tunes and be able to join in the
next jam! This course will focus on tunes that get played, so you can
apply what you learn and experience the fun of playing with others right
away. We'll work out bowings, syncopations, and all the fun stuff that
make these tunes "old timey". Tunes will be taught by ear with sheet music
provided afterwards. Please bring a recording device.
This workshop is for intermediate and advanced players,
but listeners and novices without their instruments are invited too.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Pennyless is a young and captivating old time duo based here in Victoria.
Featuring Lisa Feeney on guitar and Damian Ritchie on fiddle, this relatively new combo formed in 2012.
They inject new energy into timeless standards of the past. Their
traditional performance & pure enchanting voices
will have you toe tapping & singing along.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
We will begin with an overview of mandolin in old time music,
including recorded examples and a discussion of the differences between old time and bluegrass styles. Playing techniques will be demonstrated through the
teaching of two or three tunes. A list of resources for more
information on old time mandolin will be distributed but NO TAB.
Please bring a recording device. The workshop will be recorded and a copy will be available at a later date.
Instruction will be tailored for a Beginning/Intermediate level of player. Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
We top off our tidal wave of old-time music with a dance in Fairfield United Church Hall.
We'll have a special surprise caller, and no experience is needed - all dances will be called
on the spot, and all ages are invited.
Before the dance, at 6:30pm there will be a SPECIAL FLATFOOT CLOGGING WORKSHOP,
led by a great dancer. Admission by donation, must also have a Dance ticket.
Internationally acclaimed Foghorn Stringband has been at the
vanguard of a revival in American old-time music for over a
decade now. They've traveled the globe and inspired a new generation of old-time musicians
without compromising their love of traditional American music.
But they've gathered new ideas and new band members too. Their
unique sound is rooted in the fiery, intertwining melodies of
Stephen "Sammy" Lind's fiddle and Caleb Klauder's mandolin,
supported by the bedrock-solid rhythm foundation
of Reeb Willms' guitar and Nadine Landry's bass. And when it
comes to vocals, they deliver; four powerful and exceptional
voices resulting in countless combinations of harmonies. A typical
Foghorn set is based around exquisitely rare old-time tunes and
songs, but a vast knowledge of early country music and recent
explorations in Cajun song traditions have molded a powerful new
sound. Any band would be happy to have mastered one music
genre, but Foghorn Stringband have a roaming spirit, and are
already sparking new revivals of American roots music traditions.
And there is more ! The Foghorns will be in Victoria all weekend, hosting various workshops on Saturday afternoon
and playing for a dance on Saturday night. Check out the other events below.
Since there is a big show on Saturday, instead of a feature act we are holding
an open stage night. Get your bluegrass/old time band together and work up
a few songs to play for the appreciative crowd. Solos, Duets, Trio, and full
bands welcome--we’d like to see something from everyone.
Admission by donation for all players and viewers (we have to contribute to the
rent somehow!)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca.
Admission by donation.
Students will
learn to visualize several different patterns that will allow them to play
in both major and minor keys up and down the neck. We will look at some
useful ways of using the open strings even when we are not in the key of G
or capoed and we will also explore some of those pesky slant chords that
everybody loves.
Feel free to bring a recording device and lots of
questions.
This workshop will be tailored for all levels of player. Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
After the workshop, we'll all head down to Logan's for the Bluegrass Brunch !
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Zev Roman formerly of the Moonshiners and Last Train, has been singing and
playing bluegrass in Victoria for many years. With some close musical
friends, he will be sharing some of his favorite folk and bluegrass songs.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturdays Feb 23rd and Mar 2nd
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Harmony Singing with Bryon Thompson
Bluegrass Harmony Singing
Bryon Thompson is a graduate from both UVIC Music and Malaspina Jazz
departments. His love for vocal harmony is evident in the music of Bryon,
Clayton, Thomas and various other groups he has performed in. His favorite
thing to do is to help others discover their love of music by using their
unique built in instrument.
In this workshop we will learn healthy singing practices, how to find your singing voice/key,
how to sing harmonies, build dynamics and practise the art of blending. We will also cover
some music theory basics.
Students in this workshop don't need to have any harmony singing
experience.
Come ready to sing out and have fun! At the end of the two workshops, you
will be on your way creating two, three and four part bluegrass vocal
harmonies.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $40 general, $30 for VBA members (both sessions) or $25/$20 for one session To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday February 16th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Banjo with Shanti Bremer
Finding the Melody on Your Banjo
Whether you play Scruggs or Clawhammer style, this workshop will help you improve
your ability to find and pick the melody to any tune.
We will go over a few scales, then look at finding basic melodies on the
banjo. Once you get the melody, we'll explore how to "banjo-fy" it, for either style.
This workshop is for beginning and intermediate players,
but listeners and others without their instruments are invited too.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Tad and Miki have been playing music individually for over 15
years, and together for 4. Their experience with music and life lends an authenticity and
sense of fun to their harmonies, picking and playful performances.
Their influences range from Tim O'Brien to Hazel Dickens, with the
occasional original song thrown in the mix.
Tad discovered bluegrass during a reggae jam at Islands Folk Fest.
He has been a part of the Island Bluegrass scene the past 3 years with
his former band Skagway, who have played Sooke, Coombs and Lighthouse
Bluegrass festivals to name a few.
Miki came to bluegrass after studying Jazz at McGill University. She is currently touring and playing in the oldtime duo, Lonesome Pine
Special whose debut CD is set to be released in early February.
Join them for an evening of old and new time bluegrass songs, along with
some very special guests.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday January 26th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Bluegrass Fiddle with Miriam Sonstenes
Bluegrass Fiddle Basics
If you're a fiddle player eager to delve into the world of bluegrass
fiddling, this workshop is for you! It's part 2 of last year's workshop,
but part 1 is not a prerequisite. We'll be reviewing all the basics,
from chopping and backing up a singer, to using a melody to build a break.
Basic chording, bow technique and exercises for improved intonation will also be covered,
to help get you sounding like a bluegrass fiddler and knowing what to do in a
bluegrass jam!
This workshop is for intermediate and advanced players,
but listeners and novices without their instruments are invited too.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Wednesday January 23rd
7:30pm
location TBA
Workshop: Intermediate Flatpick Guitar with David Grier
Already on your way but not sure where you're going? Award-winning
flatpicker David Grier will help you figure out how to move from "just
getting by" to truly being proud of your picking.
David really
individualizes his classes so bring your questions and challenges to
this workshop. He'll know exactly how to move your playing to the next
level.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fee: $50 Special deal for VBA Members only: Concert + Workshop for $60 ! To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1961, a family move to Nashville at age 3
fully immersed David Grier into the bluegrass music world, and at age 6,
he began playing the guitar. Today, he is regarded as one of the
premier acoustic guitarists in the world, along with his early
influences, Doc Watson, Tony Rice, and family friend Clarence White.
Recognized by Acoustic Guitar Magazine in 2000 as one of the Artists of
the Decade, and named Guitar Player of the Year three times by the
International Bluegrass Music Association, Grier has played on four
Grammy Award-winning albums (True Life Blues: A Tribute to Bill Monroe;
The Great Dobro Sessions; Alison Brown’s Fairweather; and Amazing Grace
2: A Country Salute to Gospel).
Having released four albums on Rounder, beginning in 1988 with
Freewheeling, Grier launched his own label, Dreadnought Recordings, with
the 1998 debut release, Hootenanny, with Dirk Powell and Tim O’Brien
(“endlessly inventive and tasteful” - All Music Guide). His most recent
release, Evocative (Dreadnought 2009), featuring 10 original tunes and a
rich complement of collaborators (Victor Wooten, Paul Franklin, Stuart
Duncan and more), has been hailed for its “deep musical introspection”
as well as its “unmatchable mastery of the guitar” (Martin Mull). Other
Dreadnought releases include the highly-acclaimed Live at the Linda
(2007) and I’ve Got the House to Myself (2002) (“unfettered explosive
invention” - Tim O’Brien).
Holidays got you bent out of shape ? Well c'mon down to the VBA party !
This fundraiser event for the Mustard Seed is our annual end of year holiday event. All proceeds from this evening including your regular jam admission fee will be donated.
Also we will be collecting canned goods, gently used clothes,
particularly outerwear), blankets, bedding, towels and last but not least, financial donations.
Doug Van Dine will be running his famous bluegrass oriented auction. Let us know if you have something
entertaining, quirky, or bizarre that you think might be an interesting auction item.
Come for the whole evening and enjoy snacks and festivities with friends new and old. Please bring your favourite finger food to share
(savoury or sweet); your instrument if you plan to jam or enter the band scramble, and deep pockets for Doug’s fabulous
bluegrass oriented auction.
We'll also have a Band Scramble - where bands are formed via selections from a hat. Bands are then given a few minutes to name their group, work up a
song and later perform it on stage. You won’t want to miss this event.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The deadline for signing up for the band scramble is 7:45pm, so don’t miss out.
Admission: $3 general, $2 for VBA members, and bring a donation to the Mustard Seed More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Way back at the turn of the century, these experienced and distinguished gentlemen combined their considerable years to form
the Clover Point Drifters. They have been local favourites ever since. Bluegrass Unlimited said of
their latest album: "traditional bluegrass at its finest." Yes, indeed. Don't miss these guys - always an entertaining show.
Featuring Alan Law (guitar), Dan Parker (mandolin), Larry Stevens (dobro), Mike Kraft (banjo), George Robinson (bass)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
The BAADD Boys love playing together and you can see it. Bring on the honkytonk - bluegrass, country, and western swing,
styled explicitly for the enjoyment of of a listening audience. Featuring Bob McKechnie (guitar), Aaron Murray (mandolin), Aaron
Ellingsen (fiddle), Doug VanDine (banjo), Dave Klassen (bass)
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Based in Seattle, this band is Washington's most exciting and accomplished bluegrass band. Veteran bluegrassers
Terry Enyeart (bass and vocals), Dave Keenan (banjo and vocals),
Don Share (guitar and vocals), Tom Moran (mandolin), and Paul Elliott
(fiddle), seen for years in many bands and many styles,
have come together in a match made in musical heaven. Take three-part
harmonies that send shivers up your spine, add dazzling instrumental firepower,
and you have the sound of The DownTown Mountain Boys.
The Maple Mountain Boys are a bluegrass band based in the Cowichan Valley
who are quickly becoming fan favourites. Bringing together a group of
veteran and new musicians, they showcase their own unique style of hard
driving bluegrass that ranges from easy listening to traditional flavoured
songs. A crowd pleaser, they will definitely make you sit up and take notice!
Lead by multi-instrumentalist Jeff Ellis on mandolin and vocals, they feature Mike
"Boomer" Boyd on guitar and vocals, Mike Dempster on banjo and Barry
Fairall on acoustic bass.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 778-678-4570 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Have a Bluegrass Summer !
Summer is here, and the bluegrass focus changes from the Orange Hall to the various festivals, jams and gatherings
in the area. Our regular Tuesday night jam at the Orange Hall continues over July & August, as a festival-style jam.
All pickers and singers welcome.
We are busy planning the fall schedule, including feature acts, workshops and special concerts. See you all in September !
By the way, this 2005 photo shows Jack playing the bass from Don Messer's band (now George Robinson's instrument).
Are you from out-of-town and looking to pick some tunes ? Give our president
Alan Law a call at 250-388-4520 or email president@victoriabluegrass.ca
When you first listen to Elena Yeung perform, you’ll probably wonder from
which old folk record or songbook she dug her repertoire from. Growing up
in Carberry, Manitoba, moving to places far and wide in Canada including
St. John’s, NL and Inuvik, NWT, and finally settling in the agrarian
community of Creston, BC, Elena’s songwriting is inspired by timeless and
universal themes of day-to-day life. Though most songs are presented with Elena’s persistent, driving
banjo roll, the music often has elements of folk, old-time, and country.
Elena is joined by Karl Sommerfeld on fiddle and harmony vocals.
Beginning at age 5 by learning Canadian fiddle tunes and classical violin,
Karl began playing with local country bands and other eclectic musicians
when he moved back to his hometown of Creston in 2005.
Elena and Karl began playing together in 2009, when Karl became addicted
to the endless pursuit of bluegrass music. His playing and singing are
featured on Elena’s newest CD, Dandelion. At times appearing as a 4-piece
band, Elena and Karl also put on a pared-down performance combining fiery
fiddle/banjo chemistry.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 250-886-2614 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Barney Hiney and Elizabeth Bergen
listen to the jingle, the rumble and the roar, building steam as they bring Old 97 and its lonesome whistle through the curves, fills and tunnels, making up time, avoiding Jesse and the boys, bringing in the Georgia mail.
These jams are like any other - you are welcome to join the inner circle - but you need to bring
a song or tune to share. You are strongly encouraged to bring songs you have rehearsed
and can perform comfortably.
Players need to be proficient enough to follow the chords, keep a good rhythm, and perhaps take the odd break.
Listeners and quiet plunkers outside the circle
are welcome too.
Admission: Players: $3 general, $2 VBA members, Listeners: by donation More info: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday May 12th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Swing Rhythm Guitar with Paul Washington
Beginning Swing Rhythm Guitar
For those who want to get started in the exciting world of swing
guitar. It's easy when you know how! You will learn the essential,
moveable chord forms used in swing, the string-damping technique used
in the chording hand, and what to do with your strumming hand and arm.
We start with simple songs. We build up to understanding the typical
chord progressions used in western swing, early jazz, the "standards,"
Broadway show tunes, etc. If you like to sing, so much the better.
The workshop is for those already comfortable playing "regular chords"
used in bluegrass.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday April 28th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Mandolin with Aaron Murray
The Blue Side Of Bluegrass Mandolin
We will have an interactive look and listen to our favourite genre's darker
and mournful qualities. We will get comfortable tapping into this
emotional style of playing by exploring a little bit of history, a
little bit of theory, and a whole lot of jamming. Aaron will have some
hand-outs, but bring a recorder if you wish.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
These boys lay down hard-driving traditional Bluegrass, from gospel
to foot-to-the-floor ravers, original compositions and timeless classics.
Their authentic sound is brought to life by first-class
arrangements, soul-inspired lead vocals, and experienced heartfelt harmony.
This band puts on a show. Beneath the sartorial splendour of white Stetsons, they
weave around a single microphone to deliver tight harmonies and
superb instrument solos in a captivating performance with a truly
unique retrophonic twist.
Phil Shaver from Erin Ontario fronts the act with his solid
rhythm guitar and classic bluegrass voice in the key of high lonesome.
Aaron Murray out of Moncton New Brunswick adds a traditional bluesy
Monroe-style mandolin and a solid tenor voice. They work together on the songwriting.
Dave Klassen out of Vancouver anchors the band morally and
musically with his straight-forward upright bass.
Banjo & Fiddle will be covered by our west coast local guns, Mike Kraft & Adrian Dolan.
If you are a lover of bluegrass, expect to be entertained with this must see combo.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 250-886-2614 or
email openstage@victoriabluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
No matter what your spiritual leaning, there is no denying
that gospel songs are a wonderful and powerful force
in bluegrass music. Cluny Macpherson will guide us
to the light, so come just as you are to walk
that golden road into the safety of the everlasting arms.
These jams are like any other - you are welcome to join the inner circle - but you need to bring
a song or tune to share. You are strongly encouraged to bring songs you have rehearsed
and can perform comfortably.
Players need to be proficient enough to follow the chords, keep a good rhythm, and perhaps take the odd break.
Listeners and quiet plunkers outside the circle
are welcome too.
Admission: Players: $3 general, $2 VBA members, Listeners: by donation More info: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday April 14th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Arranging for Performance with Mike Brooks
Arranging Bluegrass Music for Performance
What does it mean to "arrange" a tune? Depending on the
type of music and the situation, it can mean many things. In blues-based
forms such as bluegrass, it's usually a matter of working with a fairly
simple verse/chorus structure. Yet within that limitation there are many
possibilities for presenting a song or tune that show the signs of having
had some thought put into it. Singing, rhythm, solos etc. are all
important and once those elements are in place, you have a cake. Arranging
is the icing on the cake and that's what this workshop will cover.
There
will be some talking, some listening, time for questions and finally, a
live demonstration where we'll arrange a song on the spot.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
The Foggies love Victoria, and we love the Foggies.
Every spring, as winter lingers in Hogtown, the
boys make a western pilgrimage, to taste the air
and breathe the water of the eternally-green west coast.
This year, they are carrying a brand new CD
produced by Portland's dobro deacon Ivan Rosenberg, and
engineered by Andrew Collins.
The Hogtown Sessions features 7 golden age covers and 4 original tunes,
presented in a pre-modern bluegrass style - raw and uninhibited
with life's pleasure and pain brought right to the surface.
Expect stellar playing, edgy harmonies, and a full house for
Canada's best-known bluegrass band.
TWO SHOWS: 6:30pm and 9:00pm Tickets: $20 general, $15 for VBA members, sold at any VBA event or email your reservation here for the early show
or late show. More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
That's right, The Canotes are in town all weekend. During the day on Saturday, they will
be leading some fiddle, guitar and ukelele workshops at Larsen Music. Check it out.
The third part of the Canote Brothers Trilogy is a contra dance with music by two
great foot-lifters. All dances taught on the spot, no experience necessary. For all ages.
Presented by Victoria Contra Dance
Introductory session at 7:00pm Admission: $8 general More info: 250.384.7823 or email info@VictoriaContraDance.com
Hearing single, seeing double! With fiddle, banjo, ukuleles and genetically
matched voices, identical twins Greg and Jere Canote bring back fun, vintage
American music – including forgotten fiddle tunes, swing classics and quirky
novelty songs. National Public Radio fans may remember them as the affable
side-kicks on Sandy Bradley's Potluck for 13 years.
You just gotta see them, she's a-gonna be a hum-dinger !
These Cowichan Valley favourites have been harmonizing together for over a decade.
Bryon Thompson, Clayton Long and Tom Horsfal share music gathered from many styles across
folk and bluegrass traditions. Something serious, something new, always engaging, always entertaining,
they'll share some songs and a laugh or two. We welcome them back to the VBA after a long hiatus.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 250-886-2614 or
email openstage@vicbluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday March 24th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Banjo Backup with Doug Van Dine
Introduction to Banjo Backup
In a bluegrass band or jam setting, being able to play banjo in an
accompanying or back-up role is extremely important. In this 2-hour
workshop, Doug Van Dine will present his 12-step program for relatively
simple, yet effective 5-String Bluegrass Banjo Back-up.
Although geared to intermediate players, less advanced players will
benefit from attending and taking home the handouts.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
On this first day of spring, Colleen O'Brien and Elizabeth Bergen
guide us through the confounding seas of broken hearts and rekindled love.
These jams are like any other - you are welcome to join the inner circle - but you need to bring
a song or tune to share. You are strongly encouraged to bring songs you have rehearsed
and can perform comfortably.
Players need to be proficient enough to follow the chords, keep a good rhythm, and perhaps take the odd break.
Listeners and quiet plunkers outside the circle
are welcome too.
Admission: Players: $3 general, $2 VBA members, Listeners: by donation More info: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday March 3rd
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Bluegrass Fiddle with Miriam Sonstenes
Bluegrass Fiddle Basics
If you're a fiddle player eager to try out some of the challenging and
exciting elements of bluegrass fiddling, this workshop is for you! We'll
be covering all the basics, from using a melody to build a break, to
chopping and backing up a singer. Chording, bow technique and
exercises for improved intonation will also be covered, to help get you
sounding like a bluegrass fiddler and knowing what to do in a bluegrass
jam!
This workshop is for intermediate and advanced players,
but listeners and novices without their instruments are invited too.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
The Riverside Trio is a high energy and entertaining gospel group with a
soulful sound inspired by faith and bluegrass gospel traditions. Angus
MacKenzie (guitar) and Eric Adams (bass) have been hammering out bluegrass
music together for the past decade, and with the addition of Paul Lange
(mandolin) the harmonies are even sweeter. They bring it home everywhere
they perform to the delight of audiences of all ages.
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 250-886-2614 or
email openstage@vicbluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday February 25th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Vocal Basics with Ali Romanow
Power and Protect Your Voice
Singing is the bedrock of bluegrass music, and everyone possesses the required instrument.
But like any other instrument, the voice needs care and practise to be at its best.
We'll study proper breathing techniques, how to safely expand your vocal
range, and how to keep good vocal hygiene. Plus some basic lead and harmony singing.
This workshop will be an interactive
and supportive group class for all levels and abilities.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Ah, there is nothing like a murder ballad to stir the soul of a bluegrass fan. Knoxville Girl,
Banks of the Ohio, Pretty Polly, Caleb Meyer, Katy Dear - you get the idea.
Cluny Macpherson and Chris Herbst host this romantic evening
of songs about murder, mayhem and madness. Bring along
your main squeeze and a bloody weapon, er, song.
These jams are like any other - you are welcome to join the inner circle - but need to bring along
a song or tune to share. You are strongly encouraged to bring songs you have rehearsed
and can perform comfortably.
Players need to be proficient enough to follow the chords, keep a good rhythm, and perhaps take the odd break.
Listeners and quiet plunkers outside the circle
are welcome too.
Admission: Players: $3 general, $2 VBA members, Listeners: by donation More info: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday February 11th
10:00am to Noon
Location TBA
Workshop: The 'Nome and You with Shanti Bremer
Using the Metronome Effectively . . . and other counting exercises
We will learn how to use a metronome, and how to employ the 'Nome to improve your timing and rhythm.
We'll explore using these skills for
other areas of playing, such as kickoffs and going between breaks and
backup. The goal will be to learn to love the 'Nome, and to develop an
intimate relationship with this amazing tool!
All levels and all instruments invited. Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
Lisa Feeney and Jamie Elliott met in 2005 at the University of Victoria
and ever since they've been singing and playing all over town. The girls
developed a love for old-time music and started a trio with banjo player
Caroline Tanner. The three girls danced and sang and played for many
joyful years until Caroline headed
south, leaving Jamie and Lisa as a duo.
This past summer, the two
sirens were dancing around, as they do, and fate came a knockin'. An
endlessly beautiful and talented young woman named Ali Romanow would soon
be persuaded to join the fun with the two singing sirens. They will make
their guitars, banjos, fiddles and occasionally trumpets ring through the
rafters for all to enjoy.
Stay well away if you fear enchantment !
Doors open: 7:30 pm
The evening starts with an Open Stage from 7:45pm to 8:45pm. You can sign up for a spot on the Open Stage by contacting Jeb Gordon at 250-886-2614 or
email openstage@vicbluegrass.ca
Admission: $7 general, $5 for VBA members, free for open stage performers More info: Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Saturday January 28th
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location TBA
Workshop: Rhythm Guitar with Chris Herbst
Eschew the G
Are you stuck in G-position, a little nervous about trying out something fancy in another key ?
In this workshop, you will learn to play bluegrass and country guitar classics in keys other than G.
We'll check out the different qualities of each position, all without a capo.
Tabbed handouts in the keys of E, D, A, C will be provided, showing basic
bass runs and some tag licks.
This workshop is for players who know basic
chords, and who are comfortable changing between them.
Space is limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Fees: $25 general, $20 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca
For our first theme jam, we move slightly outside the traditional bluegrass tent to
sing and pick in honour of Country Music's greatest legend. Larry Stevens and Bob McKechnie lead this jam devoted exclusively
to the songs of Hank Williams.
These jams are like any other - you are welcome to join the inner circle - but need to bring along
a Hank song to share. You are strongly encouraged to bring songs you have rehearsed
and can perform comfortably. Some of you like to work from a songbook or chart, and that is ok, but
everyone will have the most fun if you can perform without burying your face in a book.
Players need to be proficient enough to follow the chords, keep a good rhythm, and perhaps take the odd break.
Listeners and quiet plunkers outside the circle
are welcome too.
Admission: Players: $3 general, $2 VBA members, Listeners: by donation More info: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email bookings@victoriabluegrass.ca
Wednesday January 11th
7:30pm to 9:30pm
Location TBA
Workshops: Tony Furtado -and- Luke Price
Tony's banjo workshop will cover various techniques and tunings that he
employs in his style that others might find interesting and rewarding to
explore. There will be plenty of room for questions and sidepaths.
Luke has found that bowing and improvisation
are the areas where most string players can improve the greatest.
His fiddle workshop will focus on bowing and improvisation in various styles.
Both workshops are intended for intermediate/advanced players, but
anyone is welcome. Hands on for those who like, or folks can just come,
ask questions, record/video, listen. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from a couple of masters.
Fees: $30 general, $25 for VBA members To Register: phone Alan Law at 250-388-4520 or email workshops@victoriabluegrass.ca Space is very limited. You must pre-register, and to avoid disappointment
please register now.
Tony Furtadobegan his recording career with a 10-year stint at Rounder Records
working with the likes of Allison Krauss, Kelly Joe Phelps and Jerry Douglas. During that time, he was
drawn to slide guitar by players like Ry Cooder and David Lindley. Over the years,Tony continued to
broaden his musical palette and began singing and songwriting as well.
He’s been called a genius on banjo and slide guitar and his own hybrid of Americana and
indie rock is captivating. Onstage, whether playing with a band or solo, he owns the room, mixing stories of his
travels with musicianship that is off the charts. Now, a confident, charming live performer,
Tony’s newer material reveals a range of topics and emotion far beyond
the expected.
Luke Price is a talented young player known for his great balance of taste,
rhythm, and technical ability. He
pushes genres, styles, and fellow musicians into new territory while respecting the great musical traditions that have come before.
At a young age, Luke began competing in fiddle contests and made a name for himself winning the National Title at ages 12 and 17,
along with many awards from contests all across the country including the Fiddlers Frolics in Hallettsville, Texas and Grand Masters in
Nashville, Tennessee. While continuing with Texas fiddling and contest traditions,
he expanded his playing to many other styles: jazz, soul, blues, funk, bluegrass, and pop.
After completing his B.A. in Professional Music at the esteemed Berklee College of Music, he moved west to Portland, where he continues to record and perform his
original music. He teaches privately, while also serving as an
Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark College. Luke is passionate about passing on fiddling traditions, while creating new music measured with taste,
technical control, and joy.
It's a new season for the VBA. Our regular weekly programming begins Tuesday
September 10th with our hosted Slow Pitch (introductory jam), and Old Time Jam. 
