President's Message

Aloha! Hope y'all survived the holidays and had a merry season and did a little pickin'! We're gearing up for our next FREE PICKIN' IN THE PARK jam session (from 11AM till 4PM on Sunday, February 21 at Wahiawa Botanical Garden), and it's gonna be a good one! Keep reading for details. Immediately after that jam, we're going to gather at my house in Wahiawa for a planning meeting, potluck supper and more jamming!

Planning meeting, you ask? Planning for WHAT? If you haven't heard about PICKIN' WEEKEND II, you haven't been paying attention! Our second weekend of jamming, camping and FUN will take place once again at Ho`omaluhia Botanical Garden in Kaneohe, in April 2010. About two dozen bluegrassers are planning to travel to O`ahu from Oregon for this event! We'll also be visited by many of our wonderful Neighbor Island bluegrassers, including Steve Ryan (Fields of Fire, the HiloBillies) from the Big Island, Harry Timmins from Maui, and Denice & Marty Sheffer (The Happy Enchalata) from Kauai!

We need YOUR help to make Pickin' Weekend run smoothly. Once again, let's get together for a little planning, a little feasting, and a little jamming! If you'd like to attend our planning meeting at my house in Wahiawa on February 21, at about 5:00 PM, please RSVP caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com! Remember: after the meeting, we'll have potluck & jamming, so bring your instrument and a pot or plate to share! Keep reading for details!

I'd also like to introduce you to Evelyn Greene. You may have seen her at our jams; she's a fine fiddler and vocalist. She's also a fine web designer, and she's been maintaining and updating this website for some months now. I am happy to announce that Evelyn was elected secretary of Bluegrass Hawai`i at our most recent board meeting! I have asked her to take over some of the writing chores for Bluegrass Hawai`i, so you may expect to see messages from Evelyn on the website and in e-mails in the future. She's awesome, and we are so lucky to have her in our organization!

If you live on the Big Island, or if you're planning to visit during the weekend of February 26-28, check out Pickin' In Pahoa, the annual jamming event held by Glen and Frank Swartwout at the gorgeous Shire in Pahoa! It's a lovely location for a weekend filled with music and fun. Keep reading for details!

Last but not least, we are going to follow the example of several bluegrass associations around the country and publish the minutes of our official board meetings on this website. This will enable our members to keep up with what's happening "behind the scenes" in Bluegrass Hawai`i. Please click here to see the submitted minutes from our meeting on January 23.

Warm aloha from Caroline Wright,
President and Founder of Bluegrass Hawai`i

More news...

HAWAII BLUEGRASS FRIENDS FACEBOOK GROUP! If you are interested in bluegrass, traditional acoustic and old-time music in the Hawaiian Islands, check out the HAWAII BLUEGRASS FRIENDS Facebook group! There are now over 100 people in this group. Join today and connect with pickers and grinners on YOUR island! Check it out at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=137605476884.

And don't miss the Friends of Hawaii Bluegrass - Big Island Facebook group! Jan and Barry Willis have a monthly jam at their place in Kona, and they regularly post news of their gatherings here! http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=127498523901

BANDS & EVENTS: What are YOUR favorite Hawai`i bluegrass bands and artists up to these days? Where can you hear the Saloon Pilots, the Celtic Waves, Gordon Freitas, the Voggy Mountain Ramblers or the Happy Enchalada? Visit www.bluegrasshawaii.com/bands.html for links to local artists' websites, sound samples and schedules! And check out www.bluegrasshawaii.com/events.html for recurring events hosted by other traditional music societies in Hawai`i!

Back to Top

ON O`AHU:

PICKIN' IN THE PARK Free Jam Session

Wahiawa Botanical Garden
Sunday, February 21
11:00 AM till 4:00 PM

Our February jam has been scheduled for Sunday, February 21 from 11:00 AM till 4:00 PM at Wahiawa Botanical Garden in Wahiawa! This rain-or-shine event is always FREE to the public!

Date and Time: Sunday, February 21, 2010; jam starts at 11:00 AM; garden closes at 4:00 PM.
Who's Welcome: EVERYBODY! If you play an unplugged traditional instrument, and enjoy acoustic bluegrass, newgrass, mountain, roots, traditional country, Hawaiian, Americana, folk, Western, Celtic, and Irish music, you are welcome to come and jam along! (Listeners, of course, are welcome, too!) Y'all come!
What To Bring: Your instrument if you have one, a pot or plate to share with the group, folding chairs, merchandise for the swap meet, a sweater in case it gets chilly.
Special Note: At about 3:30, we will hold a quick meeting of the general membership to ratify elections that took place at our board meeting on January 23. This meeting is open to all!
Directions: Find your way to H2 North, going towards Mililani and Wahiawa. Take exit 8 for Wahiawa, just before the highway ends near Schofield Barracks. At the end of the exit, go right; stay in the right lane. You'll be on KAMEHAMEHA HIGHWAY. At the third light, take a right onto CALIFORNIA AVENUE. Go about a mile or so, past Foodland, Longs, Blockbusters; past a Buddhist Hongwanji on your right and a community park on your left. Look for the Botanical Garden on your left! This rain-or-shine event will take in the pavilions around the garden and in the multi-purpose room.
Parking: The Garden's parking lot on California Ave. holds about 20 cars. If you need to park close, try to arrive early (garden opens at 9AM) There's also plenty of parking along the fenceline on California Ave.; turn around in the parking lot at Leilehua High School, just up the hill, and come back down California. There is also a parking lot on Kilani Avenue/Glen Avenue. Kilani runs parallel to California Avenue, and becomes Glen Avenue just before the Botanical Garden. If you park in the Kilani/Glen lot, walk down the hill and turn left to walk across the bridge into the main lot/entrance. It's a lovely stroll, but not for those with lots of gear, or who have a tough time walking.
Bus Riders: Catch a #62 bus towards Wahiawa Heights and get off across the street from the Wahiawa Botanical Garden on California Avenue. To find out how to connect to a 62 bus, call our wonderful bus system, TheBus, at 848-5555; they're open every day from 8 AM till 10 PM. Their website is www.thebus.org.

PLANNING MEETING AND POTLUCK: Directly after the jam, we will have a planning meeting and potluck supper for our Pickin' Weekend at Caroline's house in Wahiawa. Anybody's welcome, if you're willing to roll up your sleeves and get involved! We can even do some jamming afterwards if folks are inclined! Please call or email Caroline to RSVP at caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com or 206-3459 if you wish to attend this meeting. It will be a big long bluegrass day!

PICKIN' WEEKEND #2

Ho`omaluhia Botanical Garden
Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25, 2010

Just thinking about PICKIN' WEEKEND #2 makes me happy! Spectacularly beautiful Ho`omaluhia Botanical Garden in Kaneohe is the perfect location for a long, lovely bluegrass and traditional music event. You won't believe your eyes. It's a picker's paradise!

Check out this video, made at our first Pickin' Weekend in September 2009!

Camp with our group, or come for the day! Mark your calendars for Friday, April 23 through Sunday, April 25, 2010 for this event, which will include workshops, jams, and maybe even a performance or two! Once again, we've reserved the Kahua Nui pavilion where we held Pickin' Weekend #1! (Check out the video to see this gorgeous location. We hear that a whole pack of Oregonian bluegrassers are going to be joining us for this event, and we're hoping that more of our friends from the Neighbor Islands can come, too - there are some super pickers out there!)
Who's Welcome: EVERYBODY! If you play an unplugged traditional instrument, and enjoy acoustic bluegrass, newgrass, mountain, roots, traditional country, Hawaiian, Americana, folk, Western, Celtic, and Irish music, you are welcome to come and jam along! (Listeners, of course, are welcome, too!)
Sign Up For Camping: Plan to join us for the entire weekend? Please email caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com to sign up for the event! Include your name, telephone number, email address and the number of people in your camping party.
What To Bring: Remember, campers, if you plan to join us for the weekend, you'll need to bring all your own gear! We'll update the website with a suggested packing list soon.

ON THE BIG ISLAND

PICKIN' IN PAHOA

Does a whole weekend acoustic music jamboree in a former sugar cane field in the middle of the rainforest under the full moon sound like good fun to you?

Then set aside the weekend of February 26-28 (Thursday through Sunday) for the Fourth Annual PICKIN' IN PAHOA, the Big Island weekend festival that welcomes pickers and grinners who love classical acoustic, Celtic, old-time, bluegrass and world music!

What to bring: everything you need (camping gear, food, kitchen gear, water, dry clothes, tarps, rope, tarp structures, etc.), musical instruments, family... No pets, please. Plan ahead, and plan on staying once you get there. We'll carpool if a store run becomes necessary.

Event organizers and gracious hosts Glen and Frank Swarthout are putting together a guest list, so if you are interested in attending, please call Dr. Glen at 808/345-8220 or email this.elf@gmail.com. This event is FREE, as it is a special luau celebration for family and friends of The Shire at Okeakua sanctuary. A suggested donation of $10 or more per person per day will help support and develop the infrastructure for this and future events!

ALL ISLANDS

DON'T MISS THESE OTHER COOL EVENTS!

• Contradancers Of Hawaii (O`ahu)
• Traditional Music Jam (TradJam)--O`ahu
• Contradancing on the Big Island
• First Saturday Pickin' & Potluck (Big Island)
• Pickin' In The Park (Kaua`i)
• Folksong Circle on Maui
• Contradancing on Maui

Back to Top

ON O`AHU:

GORDON FREITAS

Hawaii's beloved folk troubador, the one and only GORDON FREITAS, is one of our favorite singer/songwriters. With years entertaining on cruise ships under his belt, Gordo can find a song for ANY occasion or mood or crowd!

According to his official biography, Gordon Freitas is a world-traveled native Hawaiian from the little coffee-pickin' town of Holualoa, Kona on the Big Island. He is often joined by several of his friends, in a configuration of kama`aina he calls LOCAL FOLK. Gordo has a LOT of friends, and they are, without exception, fabulously talented musicians! If you're able to catch Gordon in any of his shows, you will be very glad you did! Check out his schedule at gordonfreitas.com.

ON O`AHU:

THE SALOON PILOTS

Our favorite crackers! Lesley Kline on fiddle and vocals, Kilin Reece on guitar and vocals, Paul Sato on banjo and vocals, and doghouse bassman Alex Morrison deliver a heapin' helpin' of progressive, traditional, and original bluegrass! Bill Griffin of California's legendary Cache Valley Drifters is now contributing mandolin and vocals! Mmmmm tasty! Check out their blog at www.MySpace.com/SaloonPilots for their appearance schedule, photos, music, tall tales and more! They appear regularly at several venues on O`ahu; try to catch one of their shows!

And don't forget: you, too, can hire the Saloon Pilots for your private (or public) event! They can perform in several different capacities, ranging from good, clean family fun to loud, low-down, and danceable. They can also provide a professional sound system, and even teach your guests how to squaredance! Contact Paul at paulsato@hotmail.com.

ON O`AHU:

THE CELTIC WAVES

The Celtic Waves play a lively blend of traditional jigs and reels with a sprinkling of slow airs and songs that lend an Irish pub feel to the music. Performed on acoustic instruments, their repertoire ranges from rollicking, newly composed tunes to lyrical 17th-century harp compositions. Band members include Clark Ratliffe on Irish flute and whistles; Katie McClellen on harp, mandolin, whistle, and vocals; Lawson Cannon on guitar and vocals; Susan Reinhart on bodhran, African Djembe, acoustic bass and vocals; and Kevin Craven on fiddle and vocals. They are sometimes joined by fiddler Lisa Gomes. The Waves appear regularly at several venues on O`ahu! Visit their website and find out where they're appearing at http://celticwaves.net/. For bookings, contact Clark Ratliffe at clark@celticwaves.net.

ON O`AHU:

LISA GOMES

Her awe-inspiring career as a fiddler for hire has taken her all over the world, but lucky for us, LISA GOMES calls Hawai`i her home! Lisa grew up near Woodstock, New York, playing classical music. After graduating from Vassar College with a degree in psychology, she bought a one-way ticket to Taiwan to learn Chinese. While prepared to learn a new language and culture, she ended up learning something unexpected ? how to play music by ear!

Lisa has successfully played in several genres of folk music, including Irish, Scottish, French, Klezmer, Cajun, blues, and rock. Her performances now include dancing and fiddling for the JigThis School of Irish Dance, Highland Dancers Hawai'i, and The Society of Creative Anacronism (SCA), Barony of the Western Seas. In Honolulu, she has played with The Bones (rock), Irish Hearts, Bon Ton Roule (Cajun/Zydeco), The Swampshakers (Zydeco), The Pleasant Peasant Band (International folkdance music), Sherele (Klezmer), Scott Wallace and The Round-up (country), as well as as a duo with Two Hearts (Irish) with Curtis Vandeloop (opening for Old Blind Dogs in 2004); as Kilts on the Beach (Scottish) with Audrey Knuth (opening for Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas in 2007); and with Jo McGarry (Scottish music and Scotch-tasting)!

She has also guested with the Doolin' Rakes, Celtic Waves, The Honolulu Blues Co-op, The Eric Petersen Band, Gordon Freitas and Local Folk, Don Conover's Irish Band, The Southern String Band (Raleigh, N.C.), Wolgemut (Medieval), Dram (Medieval/Swedish), and Switchback (Irish/Scottish). Those of us who know Lisa well are fairly sure she never sleeps! Check out her website and schedule at www.lisagomes.com.

ON KAUAI:

THE HAPPY ENCHALATA

The Happy Enchalata Bluegrass Band is always ready for fun and music on the island of Kaua`i! They also host a PICKIN' IN THE PARK jam session! The band has six members, and they also have several friends who join them when they can. The band plays at various venues around the Garden Island; visit their website for info. Members of the Happy Enchalata band are Marty Sheffer (mandolin, banjo, guitar and vocals), Denice Sheffer (vocals, percussion), Michael Barretto (vocals, guitar, banjo), Bill Dick (violin) and Larry Heller (box bass and electric bass).

Email HappyEnchalata@yahoo.com or visit http://www.TheHappyEnchalata.com or their MySpace at myspace.com/thehappyenchalata. They're also on www.youtube.com; search on "Enchalata" to find 'em! And remember, you gotta be HAPPY to be a Happy Enchalata!

ON KAUAI:

THE MALAMA PONO ALL-STARS

This band has a great time! Personnel includes Paul Crowe on guitar and vocals; Steven Meredith on harp, cajone and washboard; Jimmy Truillo on dobro, harp and vocals, Ya Kaduce on jaw harp, saw, vocals; Doug Gates on mandolin and sound; Mike Cosmann on banjo, mando and vocals. They make regular appearances in Kapa`a, so check out their website (complete with a few very fun tunes!) at http://www.myspace.com/malamaponoallstars.

ON MAUI:

RANDALL ROSPOND
AND THE HAIKU HILLBILLYS

Check out Randall Rospond and the Haiku Hillbillys and catch some of the finest acoustic and trad-roots music on Maui! For more info, please contact Randall at liquidrosetoons@yahoo.com

The brand-new HAIKU HILLBILLY CD will be released this summer and will contain four new studio recordings, two "live in the studio" cuts engineered by Barry Shannon and Don Lopez, some live recordings from shows in 2007, and "perhaps a little secret moonshine magic for good measure." Ask Randall about Haiku Hillbilly t-shirts (sizes are limited) and his solo cd recorded at Walter's Becker's upcountry studio!

Back to Top

IMPORTANT: As Bluegrass Hawai`i works on becoming a 501(c)(3) non-profit association, we have been advised by the Internal Revenue Service that we have to do a few things differently. Unfortunately, we will no longer be able to accept classified ads for merchandise. Ads for folks that want to find pickin' partners and jam sessions will still be accepted. If you have any questions, please contact caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com.

Back to Top

New Facebook Groups for Island Bluegrassers!

If you are interested in bluegrass, traditional acoustic and old-time music in the Hawaiian Islands, you might want to check out a couple of Facebook groups that will enable you to connect with other folks in our community.

The first group is called HAWAII BLUEGRASS FRIENDS and is described as "a forum for bluegrass, acoustic traditional and old-time musicians and music lovers to post information and inquiries about concerts, jam sessions, musicians, instruments, equipment, lessons, educational materials, bands and music events in the state of Hawai`i and the Pacific Rim. Join us and help sow the seeds of bluegrass, traditional, and old-time music here in the Hawaiian Islands and beyond!"

The second group, created specifically for Big Island bluegrassers, is called FRIENDS OF BLUEGRASS IN HAWAII and is described as "a place for bluegrass musicians and music lovers to post concerts, jam sessions and music happenings on the Big Island of Hawaii. We're also here to share our common love of Bluegrass, America's music."

To join these groups, you will need a Facebook account (free!); visit www.facebook.com. Look for these new groups by searching for Hawaii bluegrass in GROUPS; they'll pop up right away!

Bluegrass Videos Online!

See Your Favorites Making Great Music

Carl Carlson is a member of the South East Bluegrass Association, located in Atlanta, GA, and the creator of a WONDERFUL new website called Bluegrass On The Tube, located at http://www.bluegrassonthetube.com. This TOTALLY FREE site is your one-stop source for YouTube music videos by some of the best-loved artists in the bluegrass community... folks like the Del McCoury Band, the Stanley Brothers, Dailey & Vincent, Michael Cleveland, Tony Rice, Rhonda Vincent, the Carter Family, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, the Seldom Scene, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Vince Gill, John Hartford, Vassar Clements, and many, many more!

In addition to FREE direct access to the entire library of videos, Bluegrass On The Tube also offers a free Subscription Service, which delivers a new video to your in-box each day! (Carl promises no spam, with easy opt-in and opt-out). This is one of the most useful and entertaining bluegrass sites I've seen since Barb Diedrich's Bluegrass Lyrics Clearinghouse! HIGHLY recommended to all you bluegrass fanatics out there... don't miss this website!

Saloon Pilots

Appear on Honolulu TV Program

The fabulous SALOON PILOTS made an appearance on KGMB's Honolulu morning news program in early April, to promote the Alison Brown concert they opened. Their performance was so much fun! Check 'em out at http://kgmb9.com/main/content/view/15744/104/.

For The Truly Curious:

Historical Bluegrass Photos

Here is a link to some unbelievably wonderful photos from one of the first Country Gentlemen festivals held at Indian Ranch in Webster, Massachusetts back in 1972. These are really great quality photos of some bluegrass music's finest artists, including Ralph Stanley, Peter Rowan, J.D. Crowe, Tony Rice, Keith Whitley, Eddie Adcock, and many more! Note from Caroline: I was very happy to see these photos (sent to me by mandolinist Jimmy Gaudreau, an old friend) because my family was at this festival, and I was seven or eight at the time! The back of my brother's head is featured prominently in about nine of these pictures; I can see my parents in the audience in one, and MY head is in one of 'em, too! Check 'em out at http://frobbi.org/slides/cg1972.

GIVE THE GIFT OF
BLUEGRASS HAWAI`I!

Please visit our store for your gift needs. T-shirts, sweatshirts, license plate frames, magnets, childrens' t-shirts and hoodies, cap-sleeve and ladies' shirts, golfers' shirts, messenger bags... we've got it all! You and your pals will be the coolest cats at any pickin' party with great bluegrass bling-bling--tee-shirts, sweatshirts, mousepads, coffee mugs, pet shirts, baby bibs, bumperstickers... everything you need! A small portion of each purchase will help Bluegrass Hawai`i with its mission: to grow and promote bluegrass & traditional music in the Aloha State. Shop with confidence at Cafe Press!

Join Bluegrass Hawai`i!

Would you like to become a part of one of America's newest bluegrass and traditional music associations? It's easy, it's quick, and it's FREE! Click here to sign up today! It's as simple as that! You'll be added to our mailing list--almost 800 people as of July 2008--and you'll receive periodic email messages about upcoming bluegrass and traditional music events in Hawai`i. (By the way, our mailing list is private; we never sell or trade it with anybody!) Y'all come!

Back to Top

WE LIKE MIKE!

Our friend Mike Kear in Australia has generously provided us with server space for Bluegrass Hawai`i. Mahalo nui loa, Mike! Mike is the host of a wonderful radio show, heard on the Web by thousands of people all over the world, called Music From Foggy Hollow. It can be heard at http://www.bluegrasscountry.org/. He even interviewed Caroline (that's me!) about Bluegrass Hawai`i, way back in May 2003 when we had our first jam--check it out here.

Mike's Bluegrass Australia pages can be found at http://www.bluegrass.org.au/. Mike hosts this website on his servers and has provided endless encouragement and support for our adventures. On behalf of Bluegrass Hawai`i, THANKS, MIKE!

Back to Top