The IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass (WOB) event has long been the Mecca for bluegrass and old time fans and artists, and we visited this year’s event in Raleigh NC and are happy to confirm that it continues to uphold that reputation. It was impossible for a solo reporter to experience everything the festival had to offer over the five jam packed days and nights, but below is a selection of our favourites.
Regular visitors to Ireland, Special Consensus headlined the first night in the retro-styled Lincoln Theatre. Playing as part of the Kickoff Party, Greg Cahill and band featured songs from their newest album, Great Blue North, and welcomed on stage a host of alumni and friends including Rick Faris, Nick Dumas, Ned Luberecki, and Frank Solivan. Later in the week, lead vocalist & guitarist Greg Blake went on to win the IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, and the band’s cover of Gordon Lighfoot’s Alberta Bound won the IBMA Collaborative Recording of the Year.
Next up that night, and also performing several more times during the week, were another band who have become familiar to Irish audiences, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run. Look out for their return to Europe in 2024, touring their newest recording, In Dreams I Go Back.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit emerged from the active Californian bluegrass scene a few short years ago and have gone on to become one of the most exciting string bands in the US. Pushing way beyond the boundaries of traditional bluegrass, their musicianship is scarily good but their songwriting takes them to a higher level. As well as playing on the main stage at the Red Hat Amphitheatre (open air), there were many opportunities to catch them in showcases over several days, including the official late night jams both in the smaller ballrooms of the Sheraton Hotel and in the intimate showcase rooms hosted by several record companies on the upper floors of the hotel. Blue Summit were brought to Ireland’s Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival in 2019, and that festival’s director, Uri Cohen, was to be seen huddling in dark corners, no doubt plotting what stellar bands he’ll be bringing to our shores in the next couple of years! Also spotted enjoying the musical delights were Pat McGill, who runs the Ardara Bluegrass Festival as well as bluegrass gigs throughout the year in his lovely corner of Donegal. The Irish contingent was completed by the My Grass is Blue team, so lots of bookings to tour Ireland should be expected.
The talented Rick Faris, already mentioned above, was kept very busy throughout the festival, showcasing his new album, Uncommon Sky, with his own band (which included his two brothers) as well as taking part in songwriting and guitar workshops. Also a talented luthier, we wish him all the best in his move to Kentucky to continue his career and Faris Guitar Co. there. His record label Dark Shadow Recording were particularly hospitable during the festival, hosting a suite on the top floor which showcased some of the top acts including AJ Lee, HenHouse Prowlers and StillHouse Junkies (all of whom played Westport recently). Chris Luquette, the guitar whizz from Seattle and formerly with Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, was playing in the Rick Faris Band and we are eagerly awaiting for him to form the Chris Luquette Band - watch this space! Michael Cleveland played the main stage on the Friday night, but the mean fiddler was also to be seen jamming in the corridors of the Marriott after midnight the previous night. Swamptooth are a progressive stringband outfit from Savannah, Georgia who impressed greatly at their showcase.
The Street Stages is a regular feature of the World of Bluegrass, where five blocks of the city are closed off to traffic and five stages showcase both established and newer acts throughout the Fri and Sat, all free to the public. This is accompanied by a huge number of food trucks and craft stalls, promoting local cuisine and art. Some of the bands that we managed to catch included Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Mile Twelve, Jake Blount, The Gospel Jubilators, Kaia Kater, Hubby Jenkins, Tray Wellington, Nu-Blu, Missy Raines & Allegheny and Sister Sadie. Difficult to pick out a highlight but for this reviewer it was Jason Carter & Band. Known for many years as the fiddle player with Del McCoury Band and latterly The Travelling McCourys, he recently released his first solo album, Lowdown Hoedown. His band was a who’s who of current top players, and his set was phenomenal. In addition to an extensive range of commercial exhibitors, the Conference Hall was host to a series of sponsored stages, where acts like Danny Paisley and Irene Kelley were enjoyed at The Bluegrass Standard’s stage. New this year but proving very popular was the International Pavilion which showcased acts like Red Wine (Italy - who had just won the IBMA Distinguished Achievement award) and the haplessly named Country Gongbang (from S Korea), who sang in their native tongue.
Back to the open air Main Stage in the balmy southern nights and the line up was simply divine. Traditional bluegrass purveyors The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys were joined by special guests including the ubiquitous Jim Lauderdale, who of course has just recorded an album with them, fourteen year old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis, and Bobby Osborne Jnr who joined them for their tribute to his late father. Supergroup Mighty Poplar made a rare appearance (following their Americana Festival appearance in Nashville the previous week), with the wonderful Shad Cobb on fiddle. The Kruger Brothers led a tribute to their late friend Doc Watson, with special guest Jerry Douglas. Jerry was also the special guest for the Friday headliner (whose last album he produced), Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. Molly had just won the IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year, so it was a triumphant performance in front of a very appreciative audience. Absolute highlight of the festival had to be (as in our last visit in 2019) the Del McCoury Band. Eighty-four year old Del showed why his is the most awarded band in bluegrass, and with the third generation of McCourys honing their chops on the stage alongside him, it is heartening to know that the show will go on.
As you can probably tell, a visit to the IBMA WOB is highly recommended, whether that be in Raleigh in 2024, or to the next host city from 2025, which has yet to be announced.
Report and photos by Eilís Boland