The history of bluegrass music is traced back to British and Irish immigrants who arrived in Appalachia in the 18th century and brought with them the musical traditions of their homelands. Some 300 years later, bluegrass music is alive and well and being celebrated locally in Newark at the third annual Bluegrass on Main Street event this Saturday, September 24.
Heartland Bank and the Denison University Music Department are proud partners of the event that highlights nationally recognized bluegrass musicians. The event starts at noon and features 10 great bands including Special Consensus, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, and Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers as well as a block long beer garden and food trucks. That evening catch more music and the best pub crawl of the year at downtown locations including Park Place Bistro, Barrel and Boar, Palumbos, The Draft House, and more. Tickets are available at the gate or online at bluegrassonmain.com.
Celebrating their 10th year as a professional touring band, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers have been seen by thousands of fans through performances at a vast array of venues including the National Folk Festival, Bluegrass Underground, Bluegrass Nights at the Ryman, and regular guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry. Currently they are enjoying the success of their latest Rebel Records project, Sacred Memories. The album's first single, "All Dressed Up" has reached #1 and is currently among the candidates for nomination in this year's International Bluegrass Music Association Awards.
Considered one of the premier bluegrass fiddlers of his generation, Mike Cleveland picked up a fiddle at age four, and his talent was recognized early. In 1993 he was chosen to be part of the Bluegrass Youth All Stars at the IBMA's award show. Later that year Mike made his Grand Ole Opry debut as a guest of Alison Krauss. His list of guest appearances over the years is a who's who of bluegrass legends including Bill Monroe, Jim and Jesse, Ralph Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Doc Watson, Larry Sparks, Doyle Lawson, and J.D. Crowe. Today Mike is a sought-after guest and has performed with Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, The Mark Newton Band, J.D. Crowe and the New South, Audie Blaylock and Redline, Melvin Goins and Windy Mountain and The Wildwood Valley Boys. He is also an active studio musician, and his credits include the 2005 GRAMMY-nominated "A Tribute to Jimmy Martin: The King of Bluegrass" and a 2003 GRAMMY winner, Jimmy Sturr's "Let's Polka 'Round.
THE SPECIAL CONSENSUS is a four person acoustic bluegrass band that began performing in the Midwest in the spring of 1975. The first band album was released in 1979 when the band began touring on a national basis. In 1984, The Special Consensus initiated the Traditional American Music (TAM) Program in schools across the country and began appearing on cable television and National Public Radio shows. In 1993, the band performed the first of many concerts with a symphony orchestra, complete with orchestral arrangements of songs from the band repertoire. They celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2015 and in 2016 released their newest album Long I Ride, the band's 18th, to commemorate the milestone, The current recording ushers in new member Nick Dumas on mandolin, and Rick Faris returns to his roots on guitar after six years as the band's mandolinist.
In bluegrass music, as in some forms of jazz, one or more instruments take its turn playing the melody and improvising around it, while the others perform accompaniment. Don’t’ sing the blues about your financial future. Jazz things up and contact one of our community bankers at Heartland.