Author: Michael Hall

IBMA Names Ken White To Be New Executive Director

The International Bluegrass Music Association Board of Directors has selected Ken “Kentucky” White to be its next Executive Director beginning on October 2nd, following the completion of IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC.

The Northern California Bluegrass Society is a longtime organizational member of the IBMA.

White comes to the IBMA with a wealth of experience in bluegrass music and business leadership. Raised on a steady diet of Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley and Tony Rice, Kentucky native, Ken White, fell asleep many childhood nights with an ear next to the family hi-fi. As a result, he cinched the Kentucky State Banjo Championship at age 14. At the University of Louisville Music School, he studied guitar with the late, great jazz icon Jimmy Raney, while continuing to record, perform, and tour with Bluegrass and Americana luminaries in acclaimed venues such as the Grand Ole Opry, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, RockyGrass, Walnut Valley Festival, IBMA World of Bluegrass in Owensboro, KY, and The Station Inn where he spent many nights listening, playing, or helping restock the bar.

Ken has written for and performed with the Louisville Mandolin Orchestra, the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra. Over a lengthy musical career Ken’s multi-instrumental prowess can be heard on many recordings, most recently, a catalog of music he has co-written with his wife, Robin Macy, inspired by the bountiful patch of earth they have called home for 22 years: Bartlett Arboretum, in Belle Plaine, Kansas.

In 2002, he and award-winning designer Nicole Howerton formed Howerton+White, an integrated marketing agency. For over two decades, Ken has led the company’s expansion and ongoing integration of marketing and media platforms. Under his leadership, Howerton+White has become a multimillion-dollar business with more than 40 active clients on the roster.

Ken has played an active role in several community organizations that couple his technological acumen with his passion for music. He has served as president of the Wichita Jazz Festival, serves on the Wichita Symphony Orchestra board, and for 17 years has co-produced a popular seasonal concert series at Bartlett Arboretum. Despite having established roots in Kansas, Ken looks forward to returning to Nashville and its vibrant bluegrass music scene to lead the IBMA.

Ken White

NCBS Welcomes The IBMA World Of Bluegrass In Raleigh NC

The Northern California Bluegrass Society welcomes the return of the International Bluegrass Music Association World Of Bluegrass. The NCBS is a longtime organizational member of the IBMA.

The annual convention and festival will be held September 26-30 in Raleigh, NC. The convention will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center, while the weekend festival that follows will be held at the Red Hat Amphitheater and on additional stages throughout the downtown area.

Many Northern Californians will be in attendance. Palo Alto native and former NCBS member Molly Tuttle (now of Nashville) will host the IBMA Awards ceremony during the convention.

Thanks To Our Good Old Fashioned Festival Host — The San Benito County Historical Society

The Northern California Bluegrass Society thanks our host, the San Benito County Historical Society, which manages the San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos.

The historical society volunteers work alongside the bluegrass society volunteers to make the festival happen each year. The beautiful park they maintain is the home of our annual gathering of friends. This year, the historical volunteers also grilled a great Saturday evening meal for festival attendees.

The historical society also runs the history museum in downtown Hollister. The historical village at the park and museum are open many days throughout the year.

The Historic 30th NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival will be held August 8-11, 2024.

Dance Hall, San Benito County Historical Park.

Late Season Bluegrass Festivals For Northern California

Here are the late-season festivals of interest to Northern California Bluegrass fans:

AUGUST

24-27 – Bowers Bluegrass Festival, Bowers Mansion Regional Park, New Washoe City, NV.

SEPTEMBER

1-3 – Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival, Plumas County Fairgrounds, Quincy, (NCBS welcomed)

20-24 – Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, various venues, Berkeley.

23 – Jamesburg School Bluegrass Festival, Jamesburg School Community Center, Carmel Valley.

23 – Columbia Fiddle & Bango Contest, Gazebo, Columbia State Historic Park, Columbia.

26-30 – IBMA World Of Bluegrass, Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, NC. (NCBS welcomed)

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER

September 29-October 1 – Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Hellman Hollow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

NCBS Welcomes The Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival On Labor Day Weekend

The Northern California Bluegrass Society welcomes the 2023 Plumas Homegrown Americana Festival on Labor Day Weekend in Quincy. The September 1-3 event will be held at the Plumas County Fairgrounds.

The Wildcat Mountain Ramblers (host band), Salty Sally, Banana & The Bunch, and Dirty Cello are among the Bay Area bands set to perform. There will be plenty of tickets at the gate. Camping areas are plentiful and nice. A Friday evening Open Mike and a spaghetti feed will be hosted by Chef Mike. The NCBS Information Booth will be there.

The Plumas County Fairgrounds, Quincy.

NCBS National Stolen & Missing Instrument Page Is On This Website

The NCBS National Bluegrass Stolen & Missing Instrument Page is on this website. This service is for both theft victims and used instrument buyers. It provides a central reporting location for the recovery of stolen or lost bluegrass instruments.

Musicians should immediately SELF POST information about stolen instruments. Instrument buyers should CHECK the page prior to purchase of any used instrument. The FREE page is searchable, and links can be added to connect additional information about the instrument.

AJ Lee Is Named Honorary NCBS Board Of Directors Member

AJ Lee has been named the first Honorary Member of the Northern California Bluegrass Society Board Of Directors. She served for 7 years as an elected member of the board. The demands of her new role as a nationally and internationally touring bluegrass star made it necessary for her to decline to run for another term in 2023.

She has a long record of involvement and work with the bluegrass society. She first performed at the GOF when she was only 6 years old. She began playing with Kids On Stage and the ‘Tweener Stage, and then became a regular Main Stage performer.

Her last in-person GOF performance with her band AJ Lee & Blue Summit was in 2018, the same year that she did the sound for the First Stage. She also performed on the 2020 online GOF festival during the pandemic. She led a GOF set-up crew, helped with the design process for the festival shirt and poster, and was an advocate for the difficult task of raising GOF band pay.

Lee also participated in the NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, where she received numerous honors as a part of the NCBS Northern California Bluegrass Awards over the years.

Thanks, AJ! We wish you the best of luck in your bluegrass career!

AJ Lee

 

 

Thanks To All The 2023 Good Old Fashioned Volunteers

Thanks to all of the dedicated, hard-working NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival Volunteers who spent the past weekend (or the past year!) making the festival happen. Your efforts are much appreciated!

Thanks also go to the volunteers of the San Benito County Historical Society who make the park so beautiful!

And thanks to the bands and their fans who have supported the event over many years!

The 30th GOF gathering will take place August 8-11, 2024. See you there!

The Jubilee Uncles

 

 

 

 

New NCBS Board Of Directors Elected For The 2023-2024 Term

The members of the Northern California Bluegrass Society elected the following to serve as the Board Of Directors for the 2023-2024 term:

Gary Anwyl (Palo Alto), Bruce Bellochio (Brookdale), Eric Burman (Bonny Doon), Scott Conroy (San Luis Obispo), Bruce Edmundson (Sunnyvale), Michael Hall (Redwood City), Lois Kellerman (Mountain View), Joanne Minasi (Tracy), and Mike Russell (Fremont).

Thanks to our retiring board members: Mike Fisher, AJ Lee, Karen Reyes, and Amy Warren.