Cat Elwell & Saucony Grass - July 9, 2016 @ the Kutztown Folk Festival

Cat Elwell & Saucony Grass - July 4, 2016 @ the Kutztown Folk Festival

John EZ and the Gigolos

Last Sunday (8/15/15) some friends and I played a short set at the Lanchester Fiddlers Picnic in Atglen, PA. We called this impromtu band "John EZ and the Gigolos." I'm playing my Collings D1ASB, and the sound guy did a great job amplifying my guitar.

Thanks to Lynn for taking this videos, and to Jeff for editing/posting them.

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Dear sound guy: I will scowl at you if you don't put enough volume on my guitar

Some friends and I got on stage at the Old Fiddlers' Picnic at Hibernia park last week. In all of the pictures, I'm making this face. The sound guy wasn't putting enough volume on my guitar, which I apparently wasn't happy about.

Here's the proof that he didin't have my mic turned up enough (my break starts at about 45 seconds into this clip); I'm not making it up.

Here we are with our purple "participant" ribbons.

Bluegrass jam in Elkton, Maryland

Photo of the week - August 20, 2013

At the Old Fiddlers' Picnic, Hibernia Park, Chester County, PA. Fuji X-Pro1 with 14mm lens @ f/7.1, 1/300 seconds.

Photo of the week - June 18, 2013

The Hillbenders at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, May 17, 2013. Nikon D90 with 135mm lens @ f/2. More pictures (in color) from this album here.

Photo of the week - June 11, 2013

Chad Graves and Mark Cassidy of the Hillbenders at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, May 17, 2013. Nikon D90 with 135mm lens @ f/2. More pictures (in color) from this album here.

Photo(s) of the week - May 28, 2013

Tim O'Brien and Bryan Sutton of Hot Rize at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, May 18, 2013. Nikon D90 with 135mm DC @ f/2, ISO 2000. More pictures (in color) from this album here.

Bluegrass as a second career

It's heartening to know that one can have a successful second career playing bluegrass. Something to aspire to!

Tim O'Brien, Bryan Sutton, and friends do "I've Been All Around This World"

Photo of the week - March 26, 2013

The David Bromberg Quartet (Mark Cosgrove, David Bromberg, Bob Taylor, and Nate Grower, L-to-R) at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville, PA, March 24, 2013. Fuji X-Pro1 @ 3200 ISO with 60mm lens @ f/2.4. Processed with Aperture and Snapseed (Mac version). Here's the same image in black and white (which was posted by the band on David's Facebook page).

Winfield 2011, in photographs

An intersection of two of my favorite things: (a) photography and (b) music festivals (especially those featuring acoustic music and bluegrass). Check out this amazing spread from Urban Nature, a photography magazine I just ran across. These are from the 2011 Winfield Festival (click here to enter the album).

The images below were made by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee.

Pickin' & trimmin'

Muleskinner live (featuring Clarence White, Peter Rowan, & David Grisman)

Awesome.

"Wild Horses" + bluegrass = excellence

Three days of picking

Thursday - My regular weekly summer jam in Bryn Mawr (~4 hours).

Friday - A friend hosted a nice dinner + jam; met some great new players, and got to play a sweet 1981 D-28 that had amazing bass response (~5 hours).

Saturday - The 82nd Old Fiddler's Picnic @ Hibernia Park (~6 hours).

Please pardon the typos (especially on letters from the left side of the keyboard); my fingertips are numb and my back is sore.