ISBA Bluegrass Festival

September 5, 2011 · Posted in Live Performances

Idaho Sawtooth Bluegrass Association 6th Annual Fall Festival

I just returned from an enjoyable weekend at the annual bluegrass festival put on by the Idaho Sawtooth Bluegrass Association in Round Valley, Idaho. There were six featured bands who played three sets each over the course of the weekend, plus a a couple of groups that played a single set, some open mic time, and a chance for kids to perform in front of an audience.

The festival was held at the Kling Ranch at the south end of Round Valley, just south of Cascade, Idaho. From this year on, this is the permanent spot for the festival which will always be held on Labor Day Weekend. James King will headline next year. It’s not too early to mark your calendar for September 2012.

The Buckhorn Mountain Boys

The highlight of the weekend was the reunion of The Buckhorn Mountain Boys. Until they disbanded in 2007, this was far and away my favorite local bluegrass band. Their shows this weekend reminded me why I love them so much. This is one of a handful of local bluegrass bands that openly demonstrates they are proud to be from Idaho. (The other contender is Chicken Dinner Road who did not perform at this year’s festival.) The Buckhorn Mountain Boys cover some great Idaho songs by great Idaho songwriters including “Heart of Idaho” by Muzzie Braun and “Idaho Cowboy” by Pinto Bennett, neither of which were originally conceived as bluegrass tunes. They also play plenty of traditional bluegrass tunes and a fair number of original compositions.

The Buckhorn Mountain Boys disbanded when lead singer and guitarist Al Jackson moved from Boise to Oregon in 2007. But there were hints at this festival that there may be another album in the works, and that there may be another reunion at this festival next year. I hope both of those prove true. In the meantime, I’ll see what I can find to play on Ramblers’ Retreat. Unfortunately, all three of their CDs are currently out of print, but there are a few videos of the band up on YouTube including this version of “Idaho Cowboy.”

Panhandle Polecats

The best entertainers of the weekend were the Panhandle Polecats. This band of five siblings from Rathdrum, Idaho plays a great mix of traditional tunes, bluegrass standards, and compositions of their own. Their on-stage banter, choreography, and crowd interaction were very well received. Their sets were far and away the highlights of the festival for my family. They have two CDs out, and I now have them both. Expect to hear them often on Ramblers’ Retreat. The band also has their own YouTube Channel which features their version of “Shady Grove” and a couple dozen more.

Tradition

Tradition is based in Nampa, Idaho and played three solid sets steeped in (as you might expect) the tradition of bluegrass music. They had plenty of songs from the bluegrass canon by the likes of Bill Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, and Jimmy Martin. Tradition will be the backing band for James King at next year’s festival. I’ve played quite a bit of Tradition on Ramblers’ Retreat from their appearance at the IBSA Jam this past spring.

Will Williams & Gravel Road

Gravel Road is a three-generation band based in White Bird, Idaho. Will Williams leads the band and plays banjo. He is also a well-known and well-respected builder of banjos. The rest of the band consists of Williams’s son, granddaughter, and next-door-neighbor. Williams is originally from Tennessee, and he’s fond of saying, “Let’s play this one Tennessee-style.” This is another band with many traditional songs and bluegrass standards. It’s also good to see a teenage girl on the stage, and it will interesting to see what she does in the next few years. I got four of their CDs, so there will be quite a bit of Gravel Road showing up on Ramblers’ Retreat. There are streaming versions of a half dozen songs on their website including “Standing On The Mountain,” the old Delmore Brothers classic.

Mike & Tari Conroy Band

Mike and Tari Conroy describe themselves as “an old married couple.” They come from Conner, Montana and have been playing music together for quite a while. They cover a lot of the bluegrass standards, traditional old-time songs, and a whole lot of bluegrass gospel. I have a CD that Mike and Tari did with Will Williams and another with Mike joining Gravel Road for a few songs. Some of those should be in the Ramblers’ Retreat mix.

JD Webb & The Downstate Ramblers

Coming from Baker, Oregon, JD Webb & The Downstate Ramblers play bluegrass and country standards mixed with a few originals and put on a solid performance. Webb led an earlier version of the Ramblers in Illinois in the 1970s and 80s, and revived the band a couple of years ago. This new version of the band has no CD out yet and I didn’t find any song samples on their website, so for the time being you’ll need to catch them live to hear them.