3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival Brings Another Strong Lineup to the Riverfront

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I'm looking at the nominees for this year's IBMA Bluegrass awards to be handed out this weekend.

And the list proves once again that you can hear the best bluegrass in the world without ever leaving the Chattanooga area.

All you have to do is check out the three top festivals here ( Boxcar Pinion, White Oak Mtn, & 3 Sisters).

Here's the proof from the IBMA nominations:

Entertainer of the Year

Dailey & Vincent (Boxcar Pinion 2008-09.. White Oak Mtn 08)

The Grascals (3 Sisters 09, White Oak Mtn)

Del McCoury Band (3 Sisters 2007, 09)

Russell Moore & 3rd Tyme Out (Boxcar Pinion)

Dan Tyminski Band (3 Sisters 2008)

Instrumental Group of the Year

Blue Highway (all of them)

The Infamous Stringdusters (3 Sisters 09)

Mike Cleveland & Flamekeeper (3 Sisters 09)

Female Vocalist of the Year

Rhonda Vincent (3 Sisters 08)

 

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You can see a few of these world-class performers this weekend down on the river for free!

This is the third year for Fletcher Bright's tribute to the music and the city he loves.. the 3 Sisters Festival.

We get two days of music down at Ross's Landing.  Bring a chair or blanket, plop down and soak in the music.

Personally, I'm geeked to catch the Infamous Stringdusters & Uncle Earl, along with the headliners.

But here's a preview of the entire lineup for Friday and Saturday:

FRIDAY

6:00-6:45  Dismembered Tennesseans: Fletcher's legendary local group kicks things off this year .  Here is video we shot of them last year at Nightfall.

7:05-7:50  Mike Cleveland and Flamekeeper

Cleveland is an ace fiddler from Kentucky.

He spent some time in Rhonda Vincent's band, before forming his own group.. Flamekeeper.

They have won the last two Instrumental group awards at the IBMAs.

Here is Mike and the boys warming up at the Grand Ole Opry.

8:10-9:10 The Infamous Stringdusters

They began as a group of young nashville musicians with no particular affinity for Bluegrass.

But three years on the road, will turn you into a band.  And they're now a leading example of alt-bluegrass.

I missed their show at the Tivoli earlier this year, so I'm looking forward to finally catch them this weekend.

Instead of a performance clip, how about this travelogue of what they spent this summer.

9:30-11:00 The Grascals

Friday's headliner is certainly one of the best bands in the business these days.  But they've only been together for five years now.

Their niche is combining Bluegrass instrumentation with hard country songs.

They're newest album, Keep on Walking , is a hit & is up for album of the year this weekend.

Here is the duet from that album they did with Vince Gill.

Saturday

12:00-1:00  Bluetastic Fangrass

Local dobro master Lou Wamp's current outfit.   They put a lot more jazz/western swing into their acoustic music.

Here they are at the Dunlap Coke Ovens festival this year.

1:20- 2:20  Lone Mountain Band

Local group of musicians who specialize in Mountain music.  Here is a cut featuring guitarist Roy Curry, who played for the Forrester Sisters for years.

2:40-3:40  More Dismembered Tennesseans

The band that began at McCallie school more than 60 years ago.  They travelled the world, but mostly stayed at home.

4:00- 5:00  John Reischman & the Jaybirds

An elegant take on bluegrass from the West Coast outfit.

Leader John Reischman is also up for Mandolin player of the year at the IBMA awards this weekend.

5:20-6:20  Chatham County Line

This quartet from Raleigh, North Carolina is a staple on the bluegrass festival scene.  They are now five albums into their career.

Here is a recording for Norwegian radio last year.

6:40- 7:40  Uncle Earl

One of the host of new string bands that have gotten national attention this decade (Old Crow Medicine Show, The Duhks, The Greencards).  But somehow, they've managed to miss Chattanooga, unlike their compatriots.

There is plenty about Uncle Earl that stands out.

They are all women.  They like to dance on stage.  They throw in strange foreign influences from Europe and even China.   And Led Zepplin bassist John Paul Jones loves them enough to produce them.

I guess this music video sums up all the weird parts.

It's a wild, all-girl party!

8:00-9:00  The Kruger Brothers

From the odd influences of Uncle Earl, we go to a Swiss band!

Brothers Jens and Uwe Kruger played across Europe for 20 years, before moving stateside to North Carolina.

They now are a guitar, bass, banjo trio with heavy classical influences.

In fact, they often perform with a full orchestra.  And their agent is a former symphony conductor.

Here is a promotional video for their tour with local orchestras.

And here they are on their own... still a big sound.

Hey, maybe the whole CSO will jump up on stage with them.

9:30-11:00  The Del McCoury Band

Saturday's headliner is no stranger to 3 sisters or Chattanooga.

His boys played Riverbend this year (The travelin' McCoury's) and Del played 3 sisters two years ago.

Now that his band has proven they can make it on their own, you got to wonder how long Del will continue to hit the road.  So catch him while you can.

If you've never heard him, you're missing a Bluegrass legend.

He's put 50 years into the music.  He goes back to singing lead for Bill Monroe, and firmly establishing that high-lonesome sound associated with Bluegrass.

His own band is firmly grounded in tradition, but he is the best known old-guard performer to reach out to the younger, rock generation.

He's collaborted with and covered songs by the likes of Steve Earle, Elvis Costello and Richard Thompson.

So you get the perfect combination of old, new and great.

Since we last saw Del, he's given us the political/economic themed album Moneyland plus a career box set that I'm definitely saving up for.

Simply put, you won't find anyone playing bluegrass any better on this Saturday night anywhere in the country.

First, a look back at the band 20 years ago performing a Bluegrass standard.  This is the sound that the traditionalists love.

This band will play with anyone (as we learned at Riverbend when they jammed out with the Lee Boys).

Here, they get their Irish up with the Chieftans.

And you can't accuse Del of losing touch.  He recorded this song and album indicting America's growing love of money.  Then the bottom dropped out to show us what Del and his generation have been preaching all along.