Sat 4th Feb 2012
Ireland Bridge CD
tunebook out now!
Free Mp3 Downloads
New in the box for 2012 is a rather sumptuous set of flat pipes in the key of 'B' by Andreas Rogge. Sweet is the only word to describe the tone and playability of this set which has come to reside in the box from previous owner and Plymouth piper, Tim Hamlyn. Expect to see these making an appearance at forthcoming solo gigs and featuring in guest appearances with Boris Grebenshikovs 'Aquarium' this Spring
Fabulous new photos from Fabienne...
Take a moment to check out her unusual and excellent work here
A couple of her photograps are up on the multimedia page .The one here is of Andy Greaves in duo with Becky at the infamous Puzzle Hall Inn (where else?!) August, 2011
Fab Fabienne!! (sorry, had to get that in somewhere!)
New in the Box this month is the rather lovely Optima Low D tuneable whistle from Kerrywhistles.com (photo to follow shortly).
Pleasantly surprised with this whistle - Exceptionally easy to play (especially if you are a piper - crans well) with a manageable handspan. Nice and in tune over the whole range, with a strong bottom D. Doesn't annoy the neighbours too much either - which makes a pleasant change for them! ;)
RECOMMENDED!
And this months delight is the long awaited Concert D chanter from Coulterpipes! Made in English Boxwood and silver, and fully keyed with a curly f, this baby sounds as good as it looks! Yum :)
Andy Greaves of Tragics/little Giants/Edward Molby notoriety, teams up with Becky to form Bex André. Expect sultry vocals, inspired songs and striking melodia featuring: guitar, mandolin, fiddle, and even uilleann pipes (if you're lucky!..) The inaugural outing is at the infamous Puzzle Hall Inn, Sunday 31st July 2011, followed by a support to ARookery on the 20th. Watch this space...
Photo by Jason Offen
Biróg are now available for concerts and ceilis.
Click here for further details, pictures, mp3's and video clip.
At last! A non 'pipers gurn' action shot photo courtesy of John Brandwood.A medley of tunes from the Tionol of the German Uilleann Pipes Gesellschaft on Burg Fürsteneck, Easter 2009.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cUiYChXOYA
recorded and uploaded by Christian Tietje
Grassroots Music Organization Just Plain Folks (JPF) has announced
their nominees for the 2009 edition of their music awards. After
receiving a record setting 42,000 albums and over a half million songs
from 163 countries around the world, the organization's staff and team
of volunteers filtered the music down to both song and album nominees
in 95 genres of music. This years nominees come from over 80 different
countries around the world.
It all started as a friendly effort to recognize some independent artists who made great music which had been overlooked by the mainstream media. Organization founder Brian Austin Whitney quickly realized there was a big empty gap and need in the world of music to recognize more than just the top commercial sellers. "We were getting amazing albums from unknown musicians and composers that screamed out for attention." He continues "Whereas larger televised awards are well suited to recognize music's most popular and commercially successful recordings, we felt we could fill the need to recognize the music made by the other 98% of the world." Whitney added "all the music that is judged is actually listened to in each round. Most awards, including the most famous, simply hand out a list of names and say 'vote' so it's based more on fame and name recognition than it is on their actual music."
The organization spent 14 months from the initial entry date to screen all the music and narrow down the field. JPF uses a unique mix of judges that come from the music industry, fellow artist and songwriter peers and music fans. "We feel that those groups mixed together make for a balanced and compelling process which identifies a lot of music that any one group might miss."
Smaller genres are treated with the same respect as their large mainstream counterparts and often new trends in music show up long before the mainstream music industry notices. "We've also found some amazing talent years before a wider audience catches on" says the groups Project Director Linda Berger. "It's really gratifying finding new talent, but we also love it when we can recognize established artists who are still making music that moves us even if they don't lead the current day commercial marketplace."
So what is the criterion for judging all this music? "One simple question: Does the music move you?" Whitney explains. "I was an active musician, songwriter and most importantly music lover myself before starting this and when I went to write the instructions for our first awards process back in 1998, it occurred to me that people often use strict and rigid measuring sticks to judge music. That seemed unnatural to me. People listen to and love music that moves them. It doesn't matter if it was recorded by a world class superstar in a million dollar studio or by an unknown songwriter with a laptop and a microphone in their bedroom. There are no actual rules for why music moves people and you can't build a formula around it though industry always tries. It either moves people or it doesn't. Our awards process focuses on finding music that moves people collectively from all walks of life." Whitney goes on "what better way to motivate these great artists and writers to do more great work than to recognize their music not for how many units they sold or who they are dating on the Hollywood hot-list, but for how it can bring a tear, cause a giggle, make someone's jaw drop open, get them dancing out of their seats or simply make someone feel connected with the universe. We've found music from around the world that does all those things. We're just happy to share it with the world through our awards and give these creators a sincere nudge of support."
The 2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards show will take place in Nashville, TN on August 29th, 2009 at the Wildhorse Saloon. Winners will be announced live at the show and then posted on the website the next day. For a complete listing of this year's nominees and more information, please visit www.justplainfolks.org.
About Just Plain Folks: JPF was founded in 1998 with 60 members and has grown to over 50,000 members worldwide. The organization supports grassroots songwriters and musicians through networking, education, promotional support and a friendly nudge when needed. Membership is free as are their local chapters, showcases and workshops in cities around the world. Visit their site for more information: www.justplainfolks.org
It all started as a friendly effort to recognize some independent artists who made great music which had been overlooked by the mainstream media. Organization founder Brian Austin Whitney quickly realized there was a big empty gap and need in the world of music to recognize more than just the top commercial sellers. "We were getting amazing albums from unknown musicians and composers that screamed out for attention." He continues "Whereas larger televised awards are well suited to recognize music's most popular and commercially successful recordings, we felt we could fill the need to recognize the music made by the other 98% of the world." Whitney added "all the music that is judged is actually listened to in each round. Most awards, including the most famous, simply hand out a list of names and say 'vote' so it's based more on fame and name recognition than it is on their actual music."
The organization spent 14 months from the initial entry date to screen all the music and narrow down the field. JPF uses a unique mix of judges that come from the music industry, fellow artist and songwriter peers and music fans. "We feel that those groups mixed together make for a balanced and compelling process which identifies a lot of music that any one group might miss."
Smaller genres are treated with the same respect as their large mainstream counterparts and often new trends in music show up long before the mainstream music industry notices. "We've also found some amazing talent years before a wider audience catches on" says the groups Project Director Linda Berger. "It's really gratifying finding new talent, but we also love it when we can recognize established artists who are still making music that moves us even if they don't lead the current day commercial marketplace."
So what is the criterion for judging all this music? "One simple question: Does the music move you?" Whitney explains. "I was an active musician, songwriter and most importantly music lover myself before starting this and when I went to write the instructions for our first awards process back in 1998, it occurred to me that people often use strict and rigid measuring sticks to judge music. That seemed unnatural to me. People listen to and love music that moves them. It doesn't matter if it was recorded by a world class superstar in a million dollar studio or by an unknown songwriter with a laptop and a microphone in their bedroom. There are no actual rules for why music moves people and you can't build a formula around it though industry always tries. It either moves people or it doesn't. Our awards process focuses on finding music that moves people collectively from all walks of life." Whitney goes on "what better way to motivate these great artists and writers to do more great work than to recognize their music not for how many units they sold or who they are dating on the Hollywood hot-list, but for how it can bring a tear, cause a giggle, make someone's jaw drop open, get them dancing out of their seats or simply make someone feel connected with the universe. We've found music from around the world that does all those things. We're just happy to share it with the world through our awards and give these creators a sincere nudge of support."
The 2009 Just Plain Folks Music Awards show will take place in Nashville, TN on August 29th, 2009 at the Wildhorse Saloon. Winners will be announced live at the show and then posted on the website the next day. For a complete listing of this year's nominees and more information, please visit www.justplainfolks.org.
About Just Plain Folks: JPF was founded in 1998 with 60 members and has grown to over 50,000 members worldwide. The organization supports grassroots songwriters and musicians through networking, education, promotional support and a friendly nudge when needed. Membership is free as are their local chapters, showcases and workshops in cities around the world. Visit their site for more information: www.justplainfolks.org