Ms. Mair is regarded by her peers as one of the foremost players — and scholars — of the mandolin, a member of the lute family that features four pairs of strings on a frame roughly half the size of an acoustic guitar. The instrument is most commonly associated with bluegrass music, one of the few styles Ms. Mair doesn’t play.

Andy had the opportunity to meet and study with Marilyn a few years ago at Cape Cod Mandolin Camp in Sandwich.  Marilyn is an amazing musician and wonderful person.

Starting this month:

Portsmouth Singer/Songwriter Festival, April 20 – 22, 2012, Portsmouth Music Hall Historic Theatre and the Loft, http://www.themusichall.org/calendar/program/portsmouth_singer_songwriter_festival call box office at 603-436-2400. Features Merle Haggard, Rosanne Cash and many more!!

New England Folk Festival April 20 -22, 2012,Mansfield, MA www.neffa.org

Bluegrass on the Bogs, May 18 – 20, 2012 Jellystone Cape Cod at Maple Park 290 Glen Charlie Rd., East Wareham, MA 02538, call 508-280-4825 www.capecodjellystone.com 508-295-4945

Strawberry Park Bluegrass Festival, May 31-June 1-2-3, 2012 (Preston City, CT) www.strawberryparkcampground.com WUMB Music Festival, UMass, Boston, June 3, 2012, noon – 7 PM, call 617-287-6911 M-F 10 AM – 4 PM, http://wumbmusicfest.org

Seacoast Irish Festival, June 2012, date TBA, Dover, NH www.seacoastirishfestival.org

Bluegrass on the Farm Festival, June 12, Halifax, MA, info: 781-336-9711

Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival, June 14-17, 2012, Litchfield, ME www.blisteredfingers.com

Somersworth International Children’s Festival, Somersworth, NH, June TBA, http://www.nhfestivals.org/

Acton Bluegrass Festival Car Show & BBQ Cook-off, June 16, 2012 Noon to 10:00 pm 25 Ledge Rock Way, Acton, MA 978-929-6640 $10

Maine Blues Festival, Naples, June 17, www.mainebluesfestival.com/

Jenny Brook Family Bluegrass Festival June 20 – 24, 2012, Tunbridge Fairgrounds, VT www.jennybrookfestival.com/

Granite State Music Festival June 22-23, 2012, a two day, non camping, non-profit festival held in Concord, New Hampshire June 23-24, 2012. Thirty-odd bands, 1,500 fans and two days of live, local music on the bank of the Merrimack River. http://granitestatemusicfest.org/

Old Songs Festival, June 22-23-24, 2012, Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont, NY 518-765-2815 www.oldsongs.org/festival

Madrid Bluegrass River Festival, June 22-23-24, 2012, Community Center Park, Madrid, NY 315-322-4093 madridbluegrassriverfestival.com

New Bedford (MA) Summerfest, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, New Bedford, Massachusetts, July 6, 7, 8, 2012; http://www.newbedfordsummerfest.com/

Prescott Park Concert Series, includes Americana, Jazz, Folk, Country, Rhythm and Roots and Kids Fest. No 2012 updates at this time – check out http://prescottpark.org Mineral Springs

Footstomping Festival, July 7-8, 2012 Stafford Springs, CT www.mineralspringscampground.com

Basin Bluegrass Festival July 12-15, 2012, 91 Charberry Lane, Brandon, VT www.basinbluegrassfestival.com. More info – call (802) 247-3275. After July 4, 2009- call (802) 236-1096

Connecticut Americana Music Festival, July 14, 2012, Chester Meeting House, 4 Liberty Street, Chester, CT 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm 860-526-4777 $15

North Atlantic Blues Festival, Rockland, ME, July 14-15, 2012, www.northatlanticbluesfestival.com Whites Beach Bluegrass Festival, July 20-22, Brunswick, ME, For more info or advance ticket: Whites Beach and Campground, PO Box 696, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Phone 207-729-0415 info@whitesbeachandcampground.com

Maine Celtic Celebration, July 20 – 22, 2012, Belfast, ME, http://www.mainecelticcelebration.com/

Glasgow Lands Scottish Festival, Saturday, July 21, 2011, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Look Park, North Hampton, MA, www.glasgowlands.org

Ossippee Valley Music Festival, July 26-29, 2012, S. Hiram, ME, Info: Ossipee Valley Bluegrass Association, P.O. Box 593, S. Hiram, Maine 04020. Phone 207 625-8656. www.ossipeevalley.com/

Lowell Folk Festival, July 27-29, Lowell, MA, 978-970-5000, www.lowellfolkfestival.org/

Lake Paran Bluegrass Festival - July 27-28-29, 2012 Lake Paran Entrance Rd off Houghton Lane, N. Bennington, VT 802-447-7959

The Pemi Valley Bluegrass Festival, The new location is the Benton family’s Sugar Shack Campground in Thornton, NH. August 2 – 5, 2012 For info: Pemi Valley Productions, P.O. Box 1320, Campton NH 03223. For information, call (603) 726-3471 or email admin@pemivalleybluegrass.com

Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival - August 2-3-4-5, 2012 Dodd Stadium, 14 Stott Avenue, Norwich, CT www.podunkbluegrass.net

Lake Champlain Bluegrass Festival, returning 2013, none this year, Alburg, VT, Info: Please visit our web page at www.lakechamplainmusic.com or call 802-482-7766 or info@lakechamplainmusic.com

Saddleback Mountain Bluegrass Festival, August 10-11, 2012, Saddleback, ME info: http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/bluegrass Line up includes the McCourys, Sam Bush and more.

Wachusett Valley Folk Festival, Wachusett Village Inn, Westminster, MA, August 19, 2012, www.wachusettmusic.com/wachusett-valley-folk-festival/

Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival, August 23-26, 2012, Litchfield, ME, email: blist-f@blisteredfingers.com

The American Folk Festival, Bangor, ME, August 24-26, 2012, Only $10 a day!, www.americanfolkfestival.com/

Essex Music Festival August 25, 2012 (Essex, MA) http://www.essexmusicfestival.com/

Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Special, August 30-31, Sept. 1-2, 2012 Brunswick, ME www.thomaspointbeach.com/special

Babb’s Bluegrass Festival, Sept. 8, 2012 Babb’s Park, 434 Babb’s Road, West Suffield, CT 06093. 11:00 AM until 8:00 PM. Art Sorensen at (860) 844-8526

NH Highland Games, Loon Mountain, Sept. 21-23, 2012, www.nhscot.org Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival, Sept. 29-30, 2012, www.newenglandfolknetwork.org/pmff

Beantown Jazz Festival, Boston, MA, Sept 29, 2012, 617-747-8601, http://beantownjazz.org/about.html

Park Slope Old Time Bluegrass Jamboree. Sept 28-29, 2012 at 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn NY reamsjames@earthlink.net

Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival, Oct. 26-27, 2012, United Methodist Church On the Green in Milford, CT www.nutmegdulcimer.com/ 203-661-0503

The summer lobster/clam bake  involved digging a giant pit and burning wood logs in it until they were a glowing orange-red.  Next, the embers were covered with a layer of fresh seaweed which was then covered with wooden trays full of live lobsters, shellfish, bagged fish fillets,  corn and potatoes.  Finally the food was covered with another layer of seaweed, soil, tarps  and then left to bake.  A few hours later, the feast was unearthed and served to the crowd.  I can’t even describe how incredible it all tasted!!!

All you have to do is VOTE FOR THEM here by JUNE 30:
http://magichat.net/opener/voting

Over 150 bands applied to this Magic Hat contest, and The David Wax Museum was chosen by the Newport Folk Festival Committee as one of the top 3 bands!

But now THEY NEED OUR HELP.
–Please take a minute to login at the Magic Hat site and cast your vote for us: http://magichat.net/opener/voting
–Then, post this on your Facebook page and invite your friends to vote, too.
–They’d be forever grateful. Thanks so much!!

** For those who need convincing, here’s a little ABOUT THE BAND:

David Wax’s circuitous journey from mid-Missouri to the back roads of Mexico to Harvard University inspires The David Wax Museum’s lively fusion of traditional Mexican and American folk music. Tagged as “one of Boston’s hottest new bands” by The Boston Globe, they have toured with The Avett Brothers, shared the stage with The Low Anthem, tour up and down the Eastern seaboard, and this summer will join the Old 97′s throughout the Midwest and Northwest. The band receives consistent radio play on XM Sirius Radio’s Acoustic Coffeehouse; The Boston Globe selected the band’s new album Carpenter Bird for its list of top 10 local albums of 2009; and NPR recently featured the band on a segment about Mexico-centric indie rock.

The David Wax Museum features David Wax on jarana and guitar, Suz Slezak on donkey jawbone and fiddle, Jordan Wax on accordion and piano, and Mike Roberts on upright bass and electric guitar.

This premier bluegrass music festival commemorates the legacy of Joe Val -who is arguably one of the finest bluegrass musicians to emerge from New England. In 2006, the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival received the “Event of the Year” award from the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Tickets
Early Bird tickets are now on sale.  Click here to order yours

Festival Lineup
Here is a tentative lineup for the 25th Joe Val Bluegrass Festival.

1. Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver
2. JD Crowe and the New South
3. Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper
4. Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass
5. Special Consensus
6. The Josh Williams Band
7. Buddy Merriam and Back Roads
8. The Spinney Brothers
9. While Mountain Bluegrass
10. Acoustic Blue
11. Joe Sings Joe
12. Berklee Bluegrass
13. Bluegrass Gospel Project
14. Sierra Hull and Highway 111

Sandra Brennan, All Music Guide wrote:

Singer/songwriter Joe Val was a prominent traditional bluegrass musician and leader of the New England Bluegrass Boys. A native of Everett, Massachusetts, he was born Joseph Valiante, and his interest in bluegrass started in his early teens. He was influenced by fiddler Tex Logan, who had come north to study at M.I.T. and wound up giving the young performer his stage name. Val started out as a guitar player, but also mastered the banjo and the mandolin. He got his professional start playing with the Radio Rangers, and later joined the Berkshire Mountain Boys; with the progressive Charles River Valley Boys, Val recorded a distinguished album of bluegrass-adapted Beatles songs in 1967. Although Val played with progressive groups, he himself continued to favor a more traditional bluegrass sound; to this end, he founded the New England Bluegrass Boys in 1970 with guitarist Herb Applin, banjo player Bob French and bass player Bob Tidwell. The following year, they made their debut album. Although the group underwent many personnel changes over the next decade, Val was able to produce a remarkably consistent sound over the course of numerous albums. Sadly, Joe Val was stricken with cancer in the 1980s just as his band was beginning to achieve wider recognition; his last performance was in late 1984, and he died on June 11, 1985.

Goodtime Spencer has confirmed that Rhode Island is his second favorite state (next to Massachusetts). Nicki Singleton and Ryan Spraker of the original Hard Times band completed the group and great bluegrass sounds were made!  What is it about the calzone in Rhode Island? I think it may be the best I’ve ever had!