A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Dib

The Fretliners .... Dreaming of the Dawn

Dan Andree - Fiddle Tom Knowlton - Guitar Sam Parks - Mandolin Taylor Shuck - Bass

Geography Div (Got Kids ????)

 One of the most cited statistics and/or criticisms of unemployment is child care costs:

Geography Div (Earthquake subsection)

 If you thought the recent earthquake in Morocco was bad .......

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Willie Div0

Don't much care for Billy Strings, but this with Willie is getting a lot of airplay. Kind of a fun song.

As Willie is said to have on his birthday, " I've outlived my d***"

  Mickey Raphael joining in on harmonica. Other players include Billy Failing on banjo, Royal Masat on bass, Jarrod Walker on mandolin, Alex Hargreaves on fiddle, Shannon Forest on snare and Doug Jerrigan on pedal steel.Apr 27, 2023

Geography Div (Up the Yazoo subsection)

 Atlas Obscura Has an interesting article  - - 

 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Unspoken Tradition doing Irons in the Fire.

Ty Gilpin - Mandolin, Tim Gardner - Fiddle, Audie McGinnis - guitar, Zane McGinnis - -banjo, and Sav Sankaran -  bass,

Geography Div (DOG help us subsection)

 Polarization of US states - the last time a state voted for the opposing party

Insanity  - -  Doing the same thing over and over.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

The Travlin' McCorys doing The Whole of the Moon.

Ronnie McCory - Banjo,  Robbie McCory - Mandolin,  Jason Carter - Fiddle,  Alan Bartram, - Bass  and latest recruit Cody Kilby on guitar.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Prospectin' subsection)

Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway doing a number from their new album City of Gold. It's about (what else) gold. El dorado.

Molly Tuttle - Acoustic Guitar and Vocals Bronwyn Keith-Hynes - Fiddle and Harmony Vocals Dominick Leslie - Mandolin Kyle Tuttle - Banjo and Harmony Vocals Shelby Means - Bass and Harmony Vocals

Geography Div (Glad to be home ..... I think)

 Winter is coming ..........

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegras Div (Country crossover subsection)

I've always thought that most "Country Music" is simply Rock 'n roll with boots on. Alan Jackson's Bluegrass Album  does a pretty good job. Here's Blacktop.

Sammy Shelor on banjo, Adam Steffey on mandolin, Tim Crouch on fiddle, Tim Dishman on bass, Rob Ickes on reso-guitar, and Scott Coney on guitar. Ronnie Bowman and Don Rigsby were on hand to provide harmony vocals, 

Geography Div (Safe? subsection)

 Don't know if this will affect your choice of destinations, but we're glad to be in London!!

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (European Subsection)

One of my favorite songs. Steve Spurgin's A Walk in  the Irish Rain,  Here done by the Irish Hoppers.

Marko Logar – Guitar, Vocals, Anton Cigula – Mandolin, Vocals, Milan Kebrič - Bass, Bojan Cvetrežnik - Fiddle and Dragan Verber – Banjo, Vocals

Geography Div ( the future ? subsection)

 NATO expands  - -  good for us!!! (Map of probable NATO expansion)

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Irish Subsection)

What could be more than Oh Danny Boy ?? (since Mrs Bear and I are in IrelandWild Mountain, hailing from my alma mater UC, Boulder.

Andy Maroney - Drums,  Joseph Maul - Bass, Sarah Jones - Vocals David Potter - Banjo, Renee Fine - Violin and  Mike Nile - Guitar/Mandolin

Andy Maroney - Drums

Joseph Maul - Bass

Sarah Jones - Vocals

David Potter - Banjo

Renee Fine - Violin

Mike Nile - Guitar/Mandolin

Andy Maroney - Drums

Joseph Maul - Bass

Sarah Jones - Vocals

David Potter - Banjo

Renee Fine - Violin

Mike Nile - Guitar/MandolinAndy Maroney - Drums

Joseph Maul - Bass

Sarah Jones - Vocals

David Potter - Banjo

Renee Fine - Violin

Mike Nile - Guitar/Mandolin

Andy Maroney - Drums

Joseph Maul - Bass

Sarah Jones - Vocals

David Potter - Banjo

Renee Fine - Violin

Mike Nile - Guitar/MandolinAndy Maroney - Drums

Joseph Maul - Bass

Sarah Jones - Vocals

David Potter - Banjo

Renee Fine - Violin

Mike Nile - Guitar/Mandolin

Geography Div (Gettin' Warmer? subsection)

 Ya' think the summer is worse ??

Glad that Mrs Bear and I are in Northern Europe

A Little (Foreign) Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Seems only appropriate seeing as Mrs Bear and I are currently in Oslo.

Norwegian Bluegrass by Ila Auto doing Wayfaring Stranger. 

IMathias versen (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Are Fevang (vocals, dobro, national steel), Kay Arne Sulutvedt (banjo), Kai Henrik Ryen (mandolin, vocals, snaredrum, washboard), Karl-Joakim Wisløff (bass, vocals

Geography Div Special - - the Winners

 Tomorrow is the anniversary of "Custer's Last Stand."  Here are some of the survivors .........

Geography Div (Say what subsection)

 After you're done with your normal conversation, what's your second language??

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div ( Scandanavian subsection)

Mrs Bear and I are off to Scandinavia for a cruise so here's Buster Sledge doing Way Too Pretty.

Three Norwegians and a Californian, I'll let you figure out who's from where.

Michael Barrett Donovan on lead vocals and fiddle, Mikael Jonassen on banjo, Jakob Folke Ossum on guitar, and Vidar Starheimsæter on bass. All four share with harmony vocals.

Geography Div (more moving subsection)

I can think of several places, but Japan isn't one of them.

Geography Div (Tipping Subsection)

 A while back I posted what was the expected tip for taxi drivers around the world.

Here's an interesting graphic on what "tipped" employees can expect if you leave nothing.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway doing San Joaquin. 

  

Molly Tuttle - Acoustic Guitar and Vocals, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes - Fiddle and Harmony Vocals, 

Dominick Leslie - Mandolin, Kyle Tuttle - Banjo and Harmony Vocals and Shelby Means - Bass and Harmony Vocals

Geography Div (Scary Creatures subsection)

 Well, it's summer and folks will be traveling and getting outdoors. Never know what ya might see.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Happened across this. Nu-Blu, a band from Siler City, NC. This from 2012, Red Haired Boy.

Carolyn Routh, Bass Daniel Routh, Guitar Levi Austin, Banjo Austin Koerner, Mandolin

Geography Div (Stereotypes subsection)

Having lived in England years ago (and visiting every other year or so) I can identify with this (slightly snarky) depiction.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Been there drove that subsection)

Just stumbled across this song written by Kevin Williamson and performed by Anthony Howell,

Salt River Canyon.

It caught my eye because I've driven it several times when living and visiting Arizona.

Howell plays all the instruments and sings a vocal harmony with Kevin and Shawn Lane.

Geography Div (Neck straining subsection)

 Places where you tend to walk around looking up.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Gina Furtado doing True Life Blues from her new album The Gina Furtado Project.

Gina Furtado (lead vocal and banjo), Malia Furtado (fiddle), Lu Furtado (bass), Drew Matulich (guitar), and Wayne Benson (mandolin).” 

Geography Div (Religion subsection)

 Kinda makes ya wonder about Mormons, eh ?

A Little saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

New release from Don Rigsby, Cold Ashes.

Don Rigsby - Vocal and Mandolin, Scott Vestal on banjo, Jason Roller on guitar, Tim Crouch on mandolin and fiddle, Josh Swift on reso-guitar, and Greg Martin on bass.

Geography Div (Sightings subsection)

 Don't ask me !!

... but I figure it must have something to do with alcohol consumption.

A little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Jazzy subsection)

From Allison Brown's new album On Banjo, an almost Jazzy number harkening back to the days of the Allison Brown Quartet.

Sun and Water (Here Comes the Sun/Waters of March) written by George Harrison and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Low banjo: Alison Brown
Flute: John Ragusa
Piano: Chris Walters
Hammond B3: Mark T. Jordan
Bass: Garry West
Drums and percussion: Jordan Perlson
Additional percussion: Matt Coles

Memorial Day div

I originally wrote this when I was living and working in the Washington, DC area. The feelings remain true to this day.

                    *****************************************************************

When I was growing up, Memorial Day fell on the same day every year; the 30th of May. We would huddle around the radio and listen to that famous command; "Gentlemen, start your engines." The Offenhauser's would roar and the Indy 500 would commence.

It was a single day, not the three (or four - -  or if traffic around the Great White Theme Park was any indication on Thursday, five day "celebration"). 

Thursday evening I drove past the now shuttered Walter Reed Army Medical Center and was surprised (as I am since its closing) not to see the young men (and the occasional woman) exercising their shattered bodies in the shaded grounds bordering 16th Street NW. I most recall one young man, seemingly more steel and modern technology than flesh, jogging jerkily (yet upright and proud) along the footpath - I slowed down, honked and gave him a "thumbs up." He raised his remaining appendage and pumped his only fist in acknowledgement. I'll never forget that.

Jon Talton had an excellent post yesterday. I won't repeat his disgust at the commercialization of such a solemn day of remembrance. Suffice it to say, I won't be shopping.

I'll always remember the ceremony that accompanied Remembrence Day when I lived in England. It wasn't just the ceremony at the Centopath in London's Whitehall, but what took place in almost every town and village that had a memorial to it's fallen.

 Although this was written by an Australian, sung by an Irishman and about a war so long ago, I can't think of a better piece of music to symbolize what Memorial Day really means.

                                       

                 They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

                 Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

                 At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

                                    We will remember them.

Ode of Rememberance

Geography Div (Moving Van subsection)

 We know about this here in North Mississippi (otherwise referred to as South Dakota). Folks moving here to relive the 20th century and have FREEDUMB.

Housing prices going out of sight and property taxes skyrocketing. Oh well ......

Highest proportion of 𝗶𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 migration:

• Florida
• Idaho
• South Carolina
• Texas
• South Dakota

Highest proportion of 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 migration:

• New York
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• West Virginia
• Hawaii

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Covering Gord subsection)

Gordon Lightfoot's Alberta Bound From the Special Consensus' new album Great Blue North

Greg Cahill on banjo, Dan Eubanks on bass, Greg Blake on guitar, and Michael Prewitt on mandolin.

Guests - - Ray Legere on fiddle, plus John Reischman and Trisha Gagnon from The Jaybirds, Pharis & Jason Romero, and Claire Lynch on vocals, rotating across the many verses. That’s in addition to the regular members of the band: Greg Cahill on banjo, Dan Eubanks on bass, Greg Blake on guitar, and Michael Prewitt on mandolin.

Geography Div (Star Wars subsection)

 I recognized my old "stompin' ground" at RAF Greenham Common.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Funny how things work out subsection)

Last week, Jimmy Martin doing The Grand Ole Opry Song came across on the Bluegrass satellite.

The song was written by Hylo Brown, but Martin's rendition is probably the best known.

What's ironic is that Martin was never made a member of the Grand Ole Opry.

Believe this video is from a 1990 Austin City Limits production. Along with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are Vassar Clements and Martin  himself. In the background can also be seen a young Jerry Douglas on Dobro and Sam Bush.

Geography Div (Taxi Tipping subsection)

 I spent six years of my life "Driving for $$." It always seemed that those who made the biggest deal of how well off they were were lousy tippers. The worst were the attendees of the annual CPAC extravaganza in DC. Oh well ......... 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Remembering Tony subsection)

Mighty Poplar doing Tony Rice's Tipper.

Andrew Marlin - Mandolin, Noam Pikelny - Banjo, Chris Eldridge - Guitar, Greg Garrison - Bass, and Alex Hargreaves - Fiddle

Geography Div (Democracy subsection)

Seems interesting that the US is classed as "flawed," eh ?

Sunday Remembrance

Gordon Lightfoot passed away on May 1st from natural causes, he was 84 years old. I've listened to him and performed some of his songs back in my "folkie" days of the 60s.

Bluegrass Today has an excellent obituary that contains videos of many of the bluegrass artists that have covered his work over the years.

My personal favorite line of his poetic genius is from I'm Not Supposed To Care:

                             I wish you good spaces in the faraway places you go,

                             if it rains or it snows,

                              May you be safe and warm,

                               and never grow old.

R.I.P., Gordon Lightfoot 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass (been r'round a long time subsection)

Leftover Salmon has been around in one form or another for over 30 years. Here's Blue Railroad Train with Billy Strings joining them

Vince Herman - Guitar, Drew Emmitt - Mandolin, Greg Garrison - Bass, Andy Thorn - Banjo,

Alwyn Robinson - Drums, Jay Starling - Dobro and Billy Strings - Guitar

Geography Div (Labor subsection)

 May 1 or May Day is traditionally the day when most countries celebrate labor unions and workers.

Unfortunately, union membership here in the US has been declining for years (but are we seeing some recovery?)

Anyway, "UP the Workers>"

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Huey Lewis cover subsection)

Heard this the other night while driving home. Rick Faris doing Huey Lewis' Power of Love.

Rick Faris - Guitar/Vocal, Laura Orshaw - Fiddle, Harry Clark - Mandolin, Luke Munday - Banjo, and Zak McLamb - Bass

Geography Div (Missile sibsection)

One of the most common comments I heard (from folks of my generation) when I worked as a Park Ranger at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site was "We had a missile base in my home town."

Usually, it turned out to be a Nike Anti-aircraft battery. They were common around large metro areas and/or near military installations. The deployment of ICBMs was the prime factor of their demise.

Here's what surrounded Chicago ............

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Happy Birthday Mrs Bear subsection)

I've always admired Alison Brown's talent. Mrs Bear and I even had music from her jazz quartet played at our wedding!!

Here's a new video along with Steve Martin, Foggy Morning Breaking. Alison playing 3-finger and Steve doing clawhammer.

It's also Mrs Bear's birthday. Happy Birthday Sweet Honey. 

Alison Brown – Banjo, Steve Martin – Banjo, Stuart Duncan – Fiddle, Sierra Hull – Mandolin, Chris Eldridge – Guitar, and Todd Phillips – Bass

Geography Div (Happiness subsection)

I guess no one is happy (or unhappy) in Greenland.

 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

New Single from Chicago's Henhouse Prowlers My Little Flower.

Jake Howard on mandolin,  Ben Wright on banjo, Chris Dollar on guitar, and Jon Goldfine on bass.

Geography Div (slither subsection)

No Surprise the South Dominates this List

 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass

Former teen star Billy Gilman doing his new bluegrass video Roller Coaster.

Support on the track comes from Jake Stargel on guitar, Gabe Hirshfeld on banjo, Jarrod Walker on mandolin, John Mailander on fiddle, and Vickie Vaughn on bass. Harmony vocals come from Martha Christian.

Geography Div (Lake subsection)

 Funny, I never considered the Caspian Sea a "lake"  ...... oh well.

1) Caspian Sea 🇰🇿🇹🇲🇦🇿🇷🇺🇮🇷

2) Lake Superior 🇨🇦🇺🇸
3) Lake Victoria 🇹🇿🇺🇬🇰🇪
4) Lake Huron 🇨🇦🇺🇸
5) Lake Michigan 🇺🇸
6) Lake Tanganyika 🇹🇿🇨🇩🇧🇮🇿🇲
7) Lake Baikal 🇷🇺
8) Great Bear Lake 🇨🇦
9) Lake Malawi 🇲🇼🇲🇿🇹🇿
10) Great Slave Lake 🇨🇦
11) Lake Erie 🇨🇦🇺🇸
12) Lake Winnipeg 🇨🇦
13) Lake Ontario 🇨🇦🇺🇸
14) Lake Ladoga 🇷🇺
15) Lake Balkhash 🇰🇿 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Retro 78, the 2022 winners of the SPBGMA International Band Competition with their first single Black Vinyl 45.

Hunter Motts on banjo, Clint Groves on guitar, Kevin Street on guitar, Mike Street on bass, Jacob Jackson on mandolin, Jacob Turnbill on fiddle.

Geography Div (Really old subsection)

 What can this be ???

Well it's a drawing of the oldest known European map of a Bronze Age kingdom.

Read all about it here courtesy of Atlas Obscura

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass

Bluegrass DNA from the Farm Hands

 Tim Graves on Dobro, Don Wayne Reno on banjo, Terry Eldredge on bass, and Jimmy Haynes on guitar.

Geography Div (oops subsection)

 

Map made in the 19th century about the North American colonies. 

John Bartholomew was a Scottish cartographer in the XIX century. The map shows what the North American colonies looked like in 1715 along with erroneous geographic notions of the period. 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Bygone days subsection)

New video from Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers' latest album Let Time Ride. 

Don't adjust your screen, Black and White is just that.

 Joe Mullins on Banjo, Adam McIntosh on guitar, Chris Davis on mandolin, Randy Barnes on bass, and Jason Barie on fiddle

Geography Div (Power subsection)

Interesting

 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Down Under subsection)

Judgement Day from Australia's Dave Wright and the Midnight Ramblers

Dave Wright (vocals, guitar), Rob Barber (mandolin, banjo, vocals), Tim Cavanagh (upright bass, vocals), and Connor Ross Hicks (fiddle, vocals)

Geography Div (sleepytime subsection)

How do you say it ?? 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

The opening track A New Leaf from Steven Moore's new solo album Just a Little Talk With Myself.

 Featuring Moore on banjo along with Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Byron House on bass, Cody Kilby on guitar, and James Selliga on mandolin.

Geography Div (What's in a name subsection)

 If you lived in Europe, what would you call yesterday??

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

New single from The Kody Norris Show, I call Her Sunshine. ... and the banjo player sings lead!

 Josiah Tyree - Banjo and lead vocal, KodyNorris - guitar, , Mary Rachel Nalley-Norris, - fiddle, and Charlie Lowman- bass,

Geography Div (Democracy subsection)

 Now, you'd think that the numbers would be a bit different, eh ??

A LIttle Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Nice new song from Donna Ulisse (new in that she wrote it 22 years ago),  I'm Fallin'.

Donna Ulisse - lead vocal, Greg Davis on banjo, Jake Stargel on guitar, Jason Barie on fiddle, Nate Burie on mandolin, Jeff Partin on reso-guitar, and Evan Winsor on bass.

Geography Div (More Native stuff)

Even though the illegal aliens have taken over, there remain Native American Cultural areas.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

New release from Appalachian Road Show, The Ballad of Kidder Cole from their new album  Jubilation. Almost square-dancy, but a rollick'in good listen.

Barry Abernathy - lead vocal and banjo, Jim VanCleve on fiddle, Darrell Webb on mandolin, Zeb Snyder on guitar, and Todd Phillips on bass.

Geography Div (Alien Takeover subsection)

 University of Georgia historian Claudio Saunt created an interactive map showing the decline of Indian/Native homelands from 1776 to 1887. Along with Slate’s Rebecca Onion, he turned that map into a GIF, showing just how rapidly European-Americans took what amounted to over 1.5 billion acres:

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Bill Evans and the California Bluegrass Reunion doing Roll on Buddy. Evans was recently awarded the  Steve Martin Banjo Prize ..... and it's well deserved.

 Bill Evans on banjo, Darol Anger on fiddle, John Reischman on mandolin, Jim Nunally on guitar, Chad Manning on fiddle, and Sharon Gilchrist on bass.

Geography Div (Endangered Species subsection)

 

Scroll across to see all.

Sources: IUCN, GBIF

Tools: R, QGIS

Notes: This map depicts the number of endangered species in each US state. The data in this map are based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species which classifies organisms by their risk of global extinction. The species used to create this list are categorized as either Endangered or Critically Endangered. The data were pulled from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility which houses publicly available species occurrence data from citizen science projects such as iNaturalist and eBird as well as institutional and governmental surveys. This map includes animal, fungi, and plant species found in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. I created an older version of this map around two years ago and thought that it was due for an upgrade. I released this map today since it’s the 50th anniversary of the signing of the US Endangered Species Act into law. We’ve come a long way, but there is still more to be done in the way of protecting species from extinction. 

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div (Furriners subsection)

From Finland, Jussi Syren and the Groundbreakers doing Across the Rolling Tide, with an assist from Michael Cleveland on fiddle.

Jussi Syren - Mandolin & lead Vocal, J.P. Putkonen on guitar, Tero Mäenpää on bass, and Tauri Oksala on banjo. Cleveland adds his soaring fiddle as well to complete the track.

Geography Div (California Dreamin' subsection)

 Betcha never knew (or even thought) about this:

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div

Darren Beachley with New Ballad Branch - from his new album The Road Not Taken.

Darren Beachley - Lead Vocal, Dobro, Scott Vestal on banjo, Curtis Vestal on bass and baritone vocals, Clay Hess on guitar, Alan Bibey on mandolin, and Stephen Burwell on fiddle.

Geography Div ( Get your compass out subsection)

 Movement of the North Magnetic Pole since 1590. It's slowly moving to Russia.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass Div ('Nother small town without a train subsection)

The Lonesome River Band doing Heyday from their new album of the same name.

Sammy Shelor - Banjo, Jesse Smathers - guitar, Adam Miller - mandolin, Mike Hartgrove - Fiddle) and Kameron Keller (bass).

Geography Div (What's in a name subsection)

 Interesting. Note that wines and cheeses are omitted.

A Little Saturday Nite Bluegrass (No Train, No More subsection)

Jr Williams picks up a guitar instead of his banjo and leads from his album Railroad Town,

with Town Without a Train. 

So many small towns have all but disappeared from the landscape owing to the decline of our country's railroads, though I do sometimes mutter a curse when the RCP&E rolls thru the middle of town.

Jr Williams - Vocal and Guitar, Adam Steffey - mandolin, Aaron Ramsey -  guitar, and Jeff Partin’ - dobro.

Picture worth a thousand words Div (MAGA subsection)

 ... and it arrives two years early.

Geography Div ( cold subsection)

Been cold here in the Dakotas lately, but not like this !!