The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s annual "World of Bluegrass" returns to Nashville, Sept. 29 – Oct. 5. Featured events include a four-day IBMA Business Conference, a three-day Bluegrass Fan Fest, and the 19th International Bluegrass Music Awards Show.
The Business Conference, taking place at the Nashville Convention Center/Renaissance Hotel, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, includes artist showcases, a large exhibit hall, professional development seminars, meetings and forums, and plenty of opportunities for networking and relationship-building for those engaged in the bluegrass music industry. Performers include Dixie Beeliners, Cumberland Gap Connection, Dappled Grays, Widow Maker, The Gibson Brothers, The Steel Drivers, Red Wine, Donna Ulisse, Charlie Sizemore Band, Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice, Valery Smith & Becky Buller, Alecia Nugent, Lonesome River Band,
More than 60 bluegrass artists are scheduled to perform and greet their fans during Bluegrass Fan Fest, October 3-5, also at the Nashville Convention Center/Renaissance Hotel. The indoor festival will feature four stages: Fan Fest Main Stage, Masters Workshop Stage, and the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. Performing artists range from up-and-coming young newcomers like Cherryholmes, Sierra Hull & Highway 111 and The Infamous Stringdusters to such veterans of the bluegrass music scene as Tony Trischka and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Other notable participating artists include Vince Gill, The Grascals, The Greencards, Kathy Mattea, Michael Martin Murphy and Danny Paisley and The Southern Grass. Stretching the boundaries of bluegrass a bit, the Roots & Branches stage will feature such artists as Canadian fiddling sensation April Verch and her band, as well as folk troubadour and labor activist Si Kahn. Rounding out the fan fest will be jam sessions galore and an exhibit hall with more than 100 booths.
Del McCoury hosts the 19th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, which takes place Thursday night, October 2, at the historic Ryman Auditorium. Awards, judged by the professional membership of the IBMA, will be presented in two-dozen categories during the ceremonies set for 8:30 p.m. CST. The awards show will be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio’s ”Bluegrass Junction” on Channel 14 and syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets. Fans interested in following the proceedings online can check The Bluegrass Blog (which is not affiliated with the IBMA) for updates throughout the evening. The winners also will be announced on AcousticMusicScene.com
Entertainer of the Year nominees include The Grascals (who are profiled in an archived January 30, 2007 article entitled “The Grascals: Expanding Bluegrass’ Horizons While Remaining True to Its Roots”), as well as Dailey & Vincent, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Del McCoury Band and Rhonda Vincent & the Rage.
Newcomers Daily & Vincent, whose leaders (Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent) apprenticed under Doyle Lawson and Ricky Skaggs, captured the most nominations (10) — including nods for Vocal Group, Male Vocalist (Dailey), Emerging Artist, Bass Player (Vincent), Album of the Year for their eponymous debut on Rounder, and two for Song of the Year. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Del McCoury Band and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage all received four award nominations each. The complete list of nominees can be found at www.ibma.org.
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