Bluegrass As Folk Music In Over Drive, Rushes to Manitowish Waters in Late July

Folks near the Northwoods interested in a taste of Bluegrass this summer will get an “A” for authentic.  From the Bluegrass State of Kentucky, Kenny Stinson and Perfect Tym’n play fast-paced, flawlessly picked notes as the band’s namesake suggests.  Kenny was last in the spot light at Manitowish Waters seven years ago.  At that time he was linked to Bluegrass Royalty as mandolin player and tenor singer for James Monroe, son of the late Bill Monroe, Father of Bluegrass, who played at the second annual Bluegrass Show nearly twenty years ago.  Kenny also toured as a Sunny Mountain Boy with first generation Bluegrass great, Jimmy Martin, who played at the eighth annual festival in Manitowish Waters.

The Ozark Mountain region of the country is represented by The Chapman’s.  Take a ride down to Branson, Missouri or a stroll over to Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin for your best chance of hearing the sound of sibling based, high lonesome harmonies, a trademark of a quality Bluegrass Show.  When asked what makes their vocal sound so special, Bill  Chapman speaks about his sons’ singing arrangements:  “Family bands have a huge advantage of honing their skills and playing together from an early age.  They just naturally learn to compliment each other during performances.”  Critics also point out how pleasant The Chapman’s vocal quality is to the ear and as a result, their championship caliber guitar playing and instrumentals go understated.  The Chapmans have been asked to bring their CD’s from the Pinecastle and Compass record labels to offer for sale to the public.

Wisconsin based Cajun Strangers and Tomahawk’s Hand Picked will also headline the 21^st Annual “Midsummer In The Northwoods” Bluegrass Festival held Wednesday night, July 28^th thru the Sunday 11 AM gospel hours, August 1^st, 2010 at the Cozy Cove, right on US Highway 51, in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.  In past years, Cajun Strangers’ John Romano has given scholarly insights into the Cajun musical genre and Brian O’Donnell’s gem of a fiddle workshop on the interrelatedness of Bluegrass, Celtic and Cajun fiddle has kept people coming out early at the Wednesday night premiere of the festival. 

Look for many surprising and spontaneous musical moments orchestrated on the main stage nestled in the maples, oaks and birches, or at the musical sessions within the 1930’s built, pine-paneled walls of the Cozy Cove Restaurant that have become the signature of this Bluegrass Show.  For example, last year Hand Picked’s long seasoned eclectic sound lead to a striking festival moment when an all woman off-shoot band was formed that culminated into a marvelous performance themed: “Women In Bluegrass.”  Find more out about the foot-shuffling and toe-tapping (good for the circulation to boot) going on by calling 715-543-2166 or visiting www.onemorebluegrassshow.com.