1996 BLUEGRASS RAMBLE FESTIVAL

[Udm...@aol.com]

It's Monday afternoon and the caffene is finally kicking in; time to thank
all those who participated in, worked on, or attended our 24th annual
"Bluegrass Ramble Festival", in Sandy Creek NY. Even at our small even there
was a significant number of Bluegrass-Lers, including Oh! Canada's petite
Howard Bonner, who generously agreed to emcee Saturday night when the
ayatollah Bill Vernon could not appear (it seems that His Vernatude's "car",
probably with 300,000 miles on it, lost a timing gear in West Virginia. We
understand he was spotted today in a sunbonnet plucking a lap dulcimer on a
cabin porch; his Jean Ritchie imitation is a bullseye).

The Gibson Brothers stole the audience the three times they appeared;
introducing themselves to a number of New Yorkers and Canadians for the first
time (incidentally, Happy Civic Holiday today to our Canadian friends; I have
it off too, heheheh). We had a very successful reunion of Syracuse's
Cranberry Lake (of the 70's and 80's); they were at ourt first festival in
1973. Bluegrass festival promotors who ignore oldtime performers are missing
the boat; if it weren't for oldtime stringbands and balladeers, there
wouldn't BE bluegrass. Doc & Don, the Bristol Brothers filled the bill and
delighted the crowd with their "brother" music and oldtime
instruments...thanks also to Fish 'n' Friends, Andy Pawlenko & the Smokey
Hollow Boys (and mayor of the Ramble's annual "Polish Village"), the Salmon
River Boys (our answers to Charlie Poole), balladeer and songwriter Diana
Gardiner (who really needs to be heard by some record company; her songs
about camping, RVs, hunting, and the rural experience HAS to be shared to
more than those who buy her personally produced cassettes! And she definitely
ain't the stereotype of the female folk singer!)...kudos also to the Delaney
Brothers, Canada's Echo Mountain, harmonica player Pete Levine, our
outstanding Gale Peabody Sound, and the Central New York Bluegrass
Association (sponsors of the festival).

We'll do our quarter century Bluegrass Ramble Festival the first weekend of
August 1997. Plan now, pleez.

BILL KNOWLTON: 'BLUEGRASS RAMBLE", WCNY-FM: SYRACUSE, UTICA, WATERTOWN NY
(since 1973)

PS: Who wrote and recorded "Watch Florida Grow"? Inmquiring Syracuseans want
to no.